Chapter 461: Soul from a Foreign Land
Beyond the distant void.
On a muddy red soil, a middle-aged man with his hands tied behind his back was kneeling on his knees with his head hung down.
His face was ashen, his eyes were lifeless, and his murmuring lips seemed to be cursing the gods, questioning why he had become like this.
Why?
They are obviously the winners...
However, death came to them after they won everything.
The mysterious voice did not answer, and what interrupted his thoughts was a righteous and stern shout.
"Meta!"
When he heard his name, the middle-aged man twitched all over as if he had been electrocuted.
"I...I'll confess!"
There was a burst of laughter at the execution ground, but the people outside could not laugh out loud. After all, no one could make up their minds whether they would go up or not.
As for why you still want to watch it even though you are afraid, that is another matter.
"Did I ask you?"
The middle-aged man shrank his neck, his lips trembling, and he was unable to speak.
Perhaps because he felt that this cowardly look was really pitiful, the person asking the question, although with a look of disgust on his face, also felt a little sympathy and softened his tone a little.
"Okay, do you have anything else to say?"
Although the death penalty is inevitable, it will always be easier to say it out loud, so as to avoid becoming a ghost.
However, the middle-aged man seemed to have misunderstood, and his skinny body, which was suffering from hunger, burst out with unimaginable strength.
He desperately turned his head, trying to see the man standing behind him, as well as the spectators on and outside the execution ground. He made a vague plea with his mouth, which was so swollen that few complete teeth could be found.
"I'm innocent! I'm in Night Harbor... to gather intelligence and raise military funds! Everything I do is for our family. General Grove can prove that I'm loyal!"
His nonsense caused a burst of ridicule.
This time, not only the people on the execution ground, but even the people outside the execution ground laughed out loud.
"That wild dog is dead," said the man who pronounced his fate expressionlessly, "I'm afraid you won't see him again."
Dead...
The middle-aged man's face was pale, as if all the strength in his body had been drained away and he had lost his soul.
He finally stopped struggling.
A sneer came from behind him, followed by the sound of a bullet being loaded.
"Since you want to see Grove so badly, then go down and keep that traitor company."
Bang--!
A sharp gunshot was heard, and the man named Meta fell to the ground.
The pair of eyes that had never closed were wide open, and the final and most vicious curse was engraved in the gradually dilating pupils.
"I curse you—"
'And you, and your descendants!'
"You will build the city of Urgos and live there like ants, running around like rats all day long, persecuting each other in ignorance, repeating the endless cycle of your insatiable game! For eternity!"
His soul roared silently.
The resentment even overwhelmed the smell of blood on the execution ground, making the executioner feel a chill on his back, as if he was haunted by an evil spirit.
Meta didn't know who Urgos was either. That was the only voice he heard in his dying moments.
That seems to be a name.
He is also the only true God who opened his eyes to him and lovingly responded to the questions of his soul when he was denouncing the injustice of fate and cursing the blindness of heaven.
'I will fulfill your wish.'
'My poor child.'
Hearing the promise from the unknown, Meta's body shed tears of blood and emotion, as if he had seen his real father.
Carrying curses and hatred towards the entire world, his soul finally broke free from his broken body, embraced Urgos's will, and, drawn by karma, journeyed to another world...
However, what awaits him is not a happy and beautiful second life in another world with beauties on every side.
When he opened his eyes, he was horrified to find that he had turned into a huge and fat rat.
Although it is true that he is a member of the rat tribe, he never thought that he would actually become a ratman.
He straightened his three-meter-long body and looked around hastily, only to find that he was standing in a sea of corpses and bones that was far bloodier than the previous execution ground.
The ground was covered with huge rats that looked like him, and there was no end in sight.
They pounced on the bloated corpses and feasted on them, making a crunching sound and filling their mouths with blood and fat.
Mehta was desperate.
He was trembling all over and wanted to go back, but he couldn't find the way home.
What frightened him even more was that he could sense that his familiar family members were also among this group of gluttonous rats, but he didn't know which one of them they were...
Mehta recognized only one person.
Although the man had a human face, he looked more like a rat than any of the rats here.
Is that... a parent?
No--
That guy should still be half alive, and why did he become a human?
He is the one who deserves to go to hell!
At this moment, the famous "Grove" and "Gopal" were crawling at the man's feet, as docile as two big cats.
Meta couldn't understand!
He believed in karma just a second ago, but now he began to doubt that God was blind.
It is obvious that he has never studied physics and does not know that the action of forces is mutual, and of course the karma in the dark is also so.
But people can always see the cause and effect in others, but not in themselves.
Those who pushed him into the hive will of course go to the hive that belongs to them. However, he who cursed his compatriots to be forever without reincarnation will obviously also go to the hive that belongs to him, and go there first.
He opened his mouth to speak, but only a rat-like squeak came out.
The crazy thoughts tore at his already fragile nerves, and gradually, the only thought left in his mind was to devour him.
Hungry!
So hungry!!!
Driven by instinct, he crawled to the ground again after just standing up.
But this time he did not beg for mercy, but ate the flesh and blood residue on the ground, and surrendered wholeheartedly to Urgos and his chosen apostles.
The Hive City is not in the depths of the distant universe, but right under the feet of every person with insatiable desires.
Meta felt that his soul was adapting to this new body, and the memories of his previous life were like a candle in the wind.
In the end, his gradually blurred consciousness was left with only one desperate thought.
If this is the fate of those who sacrifice their souls to Urgos, then the first to die might be lucky...
…
Just as "Meta" was enjoying his meal, Silas stood in the middle of a sea of corpses with a happy smile on his face.
Looking at the two huge rats crawling beside him, he reached out and gently touched their heads.
"So good..."
Although we don’t know which world the two chosen ones come from or what roles they play in their respective worlds, they are indeed good dogs.
No--
It should be said good rat.
Just a few hours ago, Silas led the 100,000-strong army given to him by Kailan into the siege camp outside Dusk City.
After doing this, he did not start attacking the city immediately. Instead, he ordered the cook to set up the stove, light a fire and cook to prepare the last dinner for those brave young men.
Of course, that was not an ordinary dinner, but the "holy communion" given by Urgos.
The materials all come from the offerings in the sacrificial ceremony.
Any soldier who ate the flesh and blood of the sacrificed became a tribute to Urgos.
In the horrific ritual magic, they will lose their sense of fullness and eat non-stop at the urging of hunger until their sanity is devoured by endless hunger and desire, turning them into monsters with nothing left but life, and eventually even their flesh begins to swell and twist.
This is only the first stage of the ritual, and the 100,000 souls are merely the key to open the Gate of Chaos.
As the Chaos Gate opened, tens of millions of hungry souls were summoned under the pull of karma.
They are not from the same world, but they are all the same type of soul.
They hovered in the sky, forming a thick, dark cloud, greedily overlooking the ground, waiting for an opportunity to move, gnashing their teeth and sucking their claws, waiting for the moment to descend.
At this time, the second stage of the ceremony began, and the plague rats of the Carrion Clan immediately ascended the altar.
Hundreds of thousands of ratmen pounced and began to gnaw on the hundred thousand living sacrifices that were so twisted and swollen that they could no longer eat, and became new sacrifices in the endless devouring.
Whenever a giant rat takes shape, tens of thousands of souls fall from the sky, squeeze into a ball, and pour into a mature flesh and blood to form a "Chosen One".
It is different from the "mysterious fog" of deploying troops between "different galaxies in the same universe".
Most of the followers of "The Claw of Eternal Hunger" come from an ignorant world, and it is almost impossible for them to figure out advanced technology like "Ether". Therefore, he prefers to transport those identical souls across the void between "different universes".
Mad Talkers often have a rigorous and thorough logic, making it difficult for them to see eye to eye. However, Desirers are different. They can easily achieve a soul-level resonance due to their many seemingly different but essentially the same twisted desires.
This is one of their advantages.
Looking around, the entire vast land is covered with these twisted "chaos eggs".
Unprecedented blasphemy is brewing on the turbid earth, and terror and death are weaving together an unprecedentedly powerful force.
The King of the Kingdom of Ryan certainly could not have imagined that the fire would eventually burn like this. His indulgence eventually gave rise to a monster that no one had ever seen...
Looking at the ever-expanding mighty power before him, Silas' smile grew more and more smug, even revealing an intoxicated expression.
"By Urgos, this is truly...beautiful."
In return for pleasing the whispers in the dark, the great Urgos sent down souls from foreign lands and let these souls manipulate the turbid flesh and blood to fight for the creation of an eternal hive.
Silas didn't understand the complexities.
"The Claws of Eternal Hunger" is not "The Weird Mist". Urgos never encourages his followers to explore the truth behind the mist, and Silas is not interested in it either.
Those things are not important at all. What is important is to complete the sacrifice to the great true god Urgos.
In the face of that massive plan, even Twilight City and the entire uprising were merely sacrifices!
As the weaver of the entire ritual, he will reach the pinnacle of mortal power and become a demigod-level powerhouse!
As long as he becomes a demigod, and a demigod chosen by Chaos, there will be no one who can rival him on this earth.
And Urgos, standing behind him, will complete the spiritual colonization of this world and turn all noble souls into yearners crawling at his feet!
At that time, all the apostles of the Eternal Hunger Claw will obey his orders. Even the Carrion Clan who once supported him will turn around and pledge allegiance to him and become his servants.
As for Kailan...
That guy seems to be on the table, but in fact he is just a tribute on the table.
Although Silas addressed him as His Majesty, he never treated him as His Majesty for a second.
Just a tool.
…
The turbid black clouds not only obscured Dusk City, but also covered the scorched earth in the eastern part of Griffin Cliff.
The salvation army from Quemu Territory is holding high the holy flag of salvation and marching towards Dusk City.
On a hill not far from the marching road, Gaunt was looking into the distance towards Dusk City with his brows slightly frowned, a trace of solemnity appearing between his eyebrows.
"Such a strong aura of chaos..." Leiden walked to his side and lowered his voice to say what he wanted to say but didn't say out loud.
Gaunt nodded silently, then withdrew his gaze from a distance and looked at Leiden.
"How far are we from Twilight City?"
Leiden said after a moment's hesitation.
"It will take at least three days!"
This is still the most optimistic scenario.
If it rains, or if we encounter an ambush on the road, it is not impossible that the delay will be even longer.
Gaunt shook his head.
“Too slow.”
At the current marching speed, it would be too late by the time they reached Dusk City.
Moreover, he always had a feeling.
Every time he eliminated a chosen one of the "Eternal Hunger Claws", a stronger chosen one would appear and stand opposite him.
It seemed like they were endless, and the more they were killed, the stronger they became, so much so that even he felt a little bit troubled now!
Just as Gunter was thinking this, a strong aura of chaos suddenly approached the edge of his perception range.
Sensing the malicious gaze, Gunter's eyes suddenly became stern and locked onto the hill two kilometers away.
The man obviously didn't expect that he would be stared at just by looking from a distance, and immediately ran behind the rocks on the side.
But it's obvious.
His whereabouts had been exposed and he could no longer escape.
Noticing Gunter's sudden change in expression, Raiden gave him a questioning look.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, just a little mouse."
Gaunt reached for the greatsword behind him and continued with a blank expression.
"It seems these Chaos Apostles don't want us to have a smooth journey to Dusk City."
Leiden's expression changed slightly.
Not daring to delay, he immediately rode his horse back to the army.
Just as Gaunt sensed the malicious aura in the distance, the Savior Army's scout cavalry also discovered traces of enemy activities along the army's route.
They did not hide themselves, and even stood in front of the Salvation Army with a swagger, looking fearless, as if they were holding an incredible trump card.
The smell of gunpowder filled the depths of the forest, and the clan rats' grinding of teeth could be faintly heard under the shadows of the trees.
The battle is about to begin!
At the same time as the Savior Army's vanguard was engaged in a fierce battle with the Green Forest Army's ambush troops, the "Northern Rescue Army" that had passed through the Quiet Waters finally entered the territory of Dusk City and encountered the last barrier that blocked their way in the forest south of Dusk City.
Obviously, the commander of the Green Forest Army was not stupid. He knew that being caught between Dusk City and the reinforcements would mean death, so he took the initiative to send troops to intercept them.
However, they are obviously not very smart, because truly smart people will never make such a meaningless last-ditch struggle when they see that the situation is hopeless.
Riding on horseback, Luo Yan looked past the dusty forest and gazed thoughtfully at the sky covered with dark clouds. He always felt that there was an eye looking down at him.
Not just myself.
He watches over everyone.
That distorted and abstract face held an unsettling kindness, as if all people were his children, or his chess pieces.
Everything in the world is just His game.
Luo Yan suddenly had a thought: would he have had the same feeling when he was gazing at the civilization behind the virtual world in the Mage Tower?
Thinking of this, the heavy feeling in his heart instantly disappeared.
Standing across from the virtual world was just another Hector.
Maybe not even as good as that old guy...
In the dense forest, the air was so heavy that it seemed as if water could drip out of it.
The birdsong in the forest had long since disappeared, replaced only by suppressed breathing and the sound of armor clashing against each other.
The rustling sound of tens of thousands of feet stepping on dead leaves.
The two huge armies met unexpectedly on this fateful battlefield.
"Form a formation!"
Theresa shouted, drew her sword and pointed it at the sky.
At the command of their superiors, the well-trained soldiers quickly switched from marching formation to firing formation, pointing their polished flintlock rifles forward.
Citizen cavalry and dwarf musketeers cruised behind the army, quickly moving to their respective battle positions and waiting for an opportunity to strike.
And just across from them, countless green banners swayed in the woods like will-o'-the-wisp flames. Beneath those flickering "wisp fires" lay pairs of pupils more terrifying than the soul fire of the undead.
There is no doubt that most of the people standing there are humans. However, there is no trace of life in these people, only astonishing fanaticism!
The two armies faced each other, and the situation was tense.
Irene sat astride her warhorse, her eyes passing over the ranks ahead and falling on the figure in front of the Green Forest Army.
If the scout's intelligence was correct, that person was the legendary "Green Turban" Kailan, whose wanted order had spread almost throughout the entire Twilight Province.
However, unlike the legend, the face was neither as fang-toothed as described by the kingdom soldiers, nor as righteous as claimed by the Green Forest Army captives. It was just an ordinary face.
If you ignore the chaotic aura emanating from him, he standing here is just an ordinary woodcutter.
Irene could feel that although both were apostles of Chaos, this guy was fundamentally different from Rolandal the Singer.
The latter is immersed in the epic and touching stories written by himself, while the former is a person who truly has ideals and desires to change something.
However, his ideals had obviously been distorted into something else, so that even his soul had become stinking.
While Irene was examining Kailan, Kailan was also looking at the "golden" knight opposite.
Although for some reason her hair was silver-white instead of the rumored golden color, he could tell at a glance that this person was the legendary Irene Campbell.
Pushing aside the personal guards beside him, Kailan walked to the front of the battle formation alone.
Looking at Irene and the disciplined army behind her, he spoke in a calm voice, but his voice echoed throughout the woods.
"Are you Irene Campbell?"
"How dare a mere traitor like you be worthy of my Highness—" Theresa frowned and was about to open her mouth to scold, but Irene raised her hand to stop her.
Riding her horse forward two steps, Irene raised her chin, looked directly at Kailan's arrogant face, and spoke in a cold voice.
"I'm Erin Campbell. So you're the legendary 'Green Hood' Kailan? I didn't expect you to come out of your rat hole."
Kailan said lightly with a cold smile on his face.
"It doesn't matter who I am, but since you're a good person, I urge you to return to where you came from and not stop the people of Twilight Province from embracing a bright future. Otherwise... this forest will be your grave."
"Ha, you're so bold."
Irene sneered and said without giving in.
"I've traveled all the way from Rapids Pass, and all I've seen are burned villages, slaughtered villagers, and orphans wailing in the ruins... Is this what you call a bright future? Tell me, what's the future for those who died?"
"That's a necessary sacrifice."
There was no emotion on Kailan's face, as if the tragedy Irene described had nothing to do with him.
He was not surprised at all that the hypocritical Sissis would bring up the dead and slander the Green Army's uprising as evil. However, would a passionate soldier stop fighting because of such slander?
Didn’t the nobles kill people?
In the past thousand years, more than tens of millions of innocent souls have died at the hands of royal power!
They may have killed some people, but that's nothing compared to the real thugs!
"Only by uprooting all the corrupt nobles and watering this land with their blood can a world truly belonging to the common people be born, saving all those living in dire straits! You people who were born with everything will never understand what life is like when even hunting a rabbit or chopping down a tree in the forest requires the lord's approval! If death can bring equality, I would rather kill a few more!"
"I really don't understand what you're talking about."
Irene stared at him straight in the eyes, questioning him word by word.
"Perhaps you could tell me who you saved? What was that man's name? Which village did he live in? Where are his village and family now?"
Kailan sneered.
"You just keep saying the same things—"
"Isn't this important?!"
Irene glared at him, and the question that went straight to the soul made Kailan's sneer freeze on his face for a moment, and he couldn't say anything.
"You can't even utter a single name! Look at the scorched earth behind you, and the blood on your hands! I haven't seen your so-called equality on even one inch of land. All I see is a group of traitors in disguise slaughtering at will, using corpses to build a bloody altar!"
"Let alone the nobles, any person with a conscience, even the Demon King of Thunder County, would never do such a heartless thing! You turned people into man-eating beasts, and turned one person into another's prey. This is the result of your death—"
"shut up!"
Kailan roared and stared at Erin, but he didn't dare to look directly into those emerald green eyes.
It was like a burning sword, emitting a light brighter than the legendary light. Just looking into it would burn the soul.
but--
He will not waver.
No matter how dazzling the light was, it could not cover up the stench on her body. He could smell it; it was the innate stench of the nobles' lackeys!
"You don't understand anything. You only see the pain in front of you, but you don't see that behind this pain is a thousand years of oppression!"
"So your answer is to kill those who make you suffer?" Irene's eyes were full of disappointment, and there was also a hint of imperceptible sadness.
She could sense that he was very similar to her, also a man with ideals. He definitely didn't rise up because he wanted to kill people.
He must have been unable to bear it any longer, so he decided to try to change something with his own strength... before everything developed into an uncontrollable fire.
But he was not as lucky as himself. The weak seed had been distorted by the evil spirit of chaos before it sprouted.
They are destined to fail to convince each other.
Perhaps, only the swords in their respective hands can determine who is on the right side.
"There's no point in talking any more."
Kailan raised the dagger in his hand, with only cold determination in his eyes.
"Since you don't plan to leave here, then take your hypocritical kindness and lie down in the coffin that buries the old world!"
"The Dusk Province is the sacred and inseparable legal basis of the Kingdom of Ryan. How can the Campbell family escape from the face of this traitor?"
Irene also slowly raised the "Light of Legend" in her hand. The sword blade shone with holy light under the gray sky, illuminating her snow-white hair.
"I won't let you hurt any innocent people again. The Knights of Campbell will put an end to your atrocities here!"
"Just you? Hahaha!"
Kailan laughed loudly and no longer concealed his breath. A terrifying aura instantly enveloped the entire forest.
That is the breath of a purple crystal-level strongman!
At least, this aura is not inferior to Rolandal!
Theresa widened her eyes, looking at the distant military formation in disbelief, and tried her best to suppress the restless neighing of the warhorse beneath her.
How come there is still a Purple Crystal Level expert?!
Where did this group of rebels get so many superior transcendents!
Not only did Theresa's expression change, but even Quentin Tonglu's expression turned ugly, and he rubbed the axe handle with his palm.
Gazing at the faces filled with astonishment, Kailan pointed the sword at Irene with a sneer and spoke word by word.
"It seems that the gods are on my side."
Before he finished speaking, an untimely voice interrupted his arrogance.
"That's hard to say."
(End of this chapter)
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