Chapter 481, Section 480: The Real Crisis (Supplement)
The fate of the kingdom now rests entirely on the fierce final battle at Three Mountains.
Under these circumstances, strongholds in the west, such as Jingu City, which had been barely preserved, had lost their strategic significance for continued defense. With the order to retreat issued, the soldiers stationed there were finally able to leave this blood-soaked land and move towards the relatively safer hinterland.
Vera's team's assistance work is also nearing its end. After completing their final mission of searching for survivors, they will withdraw with the main force.
“Vera,” Philing suddenly asked softly during their journey, “If…if I were unfortunately captured by the demons, what would you do?”
Vera glanced back at her and realized that she had been spending more time with Lucia lately and had developed empathy after hearing about the girl's ordeal.
“I will come to save you,” Vera answered without hesitation.
"Even if it means betraying humanity?"
“No,” Vera patted the longsword at her waist, “I will come to save you with my sword.”
"Everyone says they were captured by the demons. You'd be committing suicide by going alone!"
"In this chaotic world, it's not so bad to die together."
Vera's smile seemed a little irritating, and Feling blushed as she looked away.
Fei Yin leaned closer to Vera and whispered, "I...I want to go with you too."
The elf Cyril first glanced disdainfully at the three people who were radiating the sweet smell of love, then grinned and joined in: "Vera, the heartthrob, don't forget to take me with you."
"Enough, enough, have mercy on me!" Vera raised her hands to beg for mercy, unable to withstand the teasing.
After a period of playful banter, Fei Ling gazed into the distance and sighed softly, "I hope she can start over this time."
Because her father sided with the demons, Lucia suffered endless bullying in Golden Valley City.
Every time Vera's team returned to the city, they would find that she had new injuries.
This frail girl had neither the ability to protect herself nor the capacity to travel long distances alone.
During this retreat with the army, the squad planned to take Lucia to Mushroom City along the way, hoping that this unfortunate girl could find a new life there.
Suddenly, Sirius stopped and looked warily to the west.
A shadow fell over the elfin-like, handsome face.
"What's wrong?" Vera noticed the change in his expression and unconsciously placed her hand on the hilt of her sword.
“Vera, we have to get out of here, the mist is coming!” Cirion’s voice was unusually urgent.
“The fog?” Vera looked into the distance in the direction he was staring at. The horizon was still clear, but he trusted his companion’s judgment.
Felix asked in shock, "How is this possible? How could the mist appear here?"
“I don’t know why it’s here, but it’s definitely getting closer!” Sirian said quickly. “Run south now, we still have a chance to avoid it!”
"Will it sweep through Golden Valley City?" Vera's voice turned somber.
"Yes," the elf answered decisively.
"Then we need to go back and warn the people in the city!"
“It’s too late!” Sirian grabbed Vera’s arm. “The fog will engulf us all before we reach Golden Valley City!”
Grayish-white mist gradually appeared on the distant horizon.
Vera's voice was firm: "We can't just stand by and watch the mist attack Golden Valley City; there are tens of thousands of people there. I remember those adventurers from the archipelago saying that the expanding mist can be stopped by destroying its core!"
Fei Ling pointed out, "Those teams that successfully blocked the fog had at least twenty people, and one of them was led by a diamond-level expert! We have absolutely no experience, this is too dangerous!"
“But I can’t do nothing.” Vera slowly drew her scimitar, the fog spreading visibly in the distance. “You go first, I have to try.”
"Didn't you just say that we'd die together?" Fei Ling rolled her eyes and muttered, deftly taking the longbow from her back.
Fei Yin silently took a step forward and stood side by side with Vera; their actions spoke volumes.
Looking at his three stubborn companions, Sirian finally sighed, "May any god protect us fools."
Vera looked at her companions with remorse: "I'm sorry, I dragged you all into this..."
Finally, Sirian quickly warned, "The mist will retrieve information about those who enter. If the environment inside seems familiar, then the core is definitely someone or something related to you. Destroy it! Don't trust anyone other than us!"
"Retrieve information?" Before Fei Ling could finish her question, a gray mist surged in like a tide, engulfing the four people who were huddled together.
One second Vera was feeling the warmth of her companions' close proximity, and the next she was completely enveloped in cold, grayish-white light.
The shouts quickly dissipated in the thick fog, as if swallowed by something invisible.
When the fog finally lifted, he found himself standing in an unimaginably magnificent palace.
The dome hangs high, with gold-leaf-inlaid reliefs depicting an unrecognizable banquet of kings, and crystal chandeliers shimmer like stars.
Vera had never been to Oath City, but from the adventurers who had seen it, Oath City was probably not this magnificent.
Such a magnificent palace is now in a state of chaos.
Overturned gilded candlesticks were piled up with broken porcelain, scarlet velvet curtains were torn to shreds, and an intricately carved screen was broken in two.
The scene before him gave Vera a strange sense of familiarity. In recent days, he had seen too many towns destroyed by demons, and the traces left by the people who fled in panic were so similar to the chaos in the palace before him.
Just as Vera was lost in thought, a woman in a long silk dress stumbled into the hall.
Clutching two jeweled gold cups tightly in her arms, she turned and ran in terror the moment she saw Vera.
"Wait!" Vera hurriedly chased after her.
Upon arriving outside the hall, a wave of noise and clamor washed over us.
Vera involuntarily stopped and followed the sounds of battle to climb the city wall.
Standing on high ground and looking out, he saw a colossal city beyond all imagination burning in flames.
Countless magical spires tilted like broken spears, and in the distant harbor, ships billowing black smoke were sinking.
He was certain that such a magnificent city did not exist on the mainland.
"Where...where am I?"
...
Meanwhile, in a blood-stained square below the city, Sirian stood stunned before a collapsed giant statue.
The statue's head rolled into the fountain pool, revealing a dark gold metal shell through its broken neck.
Two lines of large characters, still clearly visible, are engraved on the base:
[Emperor Arthur, Radiant Star, Creator of the Eternal Empire]
From the far north desert to the southern tundra, wherever the sun shines, that is the territory of the Empire.
"The Hundred Kings Rebellion after Arthur's death?" Sirion looked at the burning cities around him. "That's incredibly unlucky..."
(End of this chapter)
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