100X Returns System: I Dominate the Age of Gods

A few hours later, the broadcasts across the Aris Continent resumed.

Right now, almost all of the natives around the world have gathered to witness history, especially the young ones who in their lifetimes had never seen a coronation of a new ruler with their own eyes; it was not a common practice to broadcast such events, but thanks to the special case with the Solaris Empire, they ended up doing that.

The news of the earlier revelations about the corruption of the primarch and the desolation of the central council and authorities had already spread like wildfire across the continent. Now people are holding their breath, waiting to see what type of new order establishes itself on this continent.

Even those who had missed the first transmission abandoned their work, businesses, meetings, and duties to watch what would happen next.

Taverns overflowed with crowds. Market streets stood unusually silent except for the distant voices of people discussing the fall of the Church and the dissolution of the Astral Warden Council. Noble families activated private communication crystals between themselves while commoners squeezed shoulder to shoulder around public broadcast crystals.

Everyone understood that a new era had begun.

And now they were about to witness the coronation of a new ruler of a newly established empire.

The previous broadcast had taken place shortly after dawn. By now, the sun had long crossed midday, and in those few hours, the Imperial Hall of the Solaris Empire had undergone a massive transformation.

Thankfully, the Light Church had never fully destroyed the original imperial palace.

Most of the alterations made over the years were superficial. Statues had been replaced, banners torn down, symbols of the Solaris Clan erased, and holy insignias of Lux spread throughout the palace halls to cover up carvings of sun symbols. Yet the Church had never bothered constructing an entirely new royal residence.

Such a project would have demanded enormous wealth and years of effort.

And Winston had preferred spending the empire’s fortune elsewhere.

Much of the wealth extracted through taxation and religious offerings had been used to construct massive statues of Lux throughout the empire, which were now being salvaged by William’s men to extract all the gold and precious materials used.

A major chunk had also gone towards establishing more churches deep within the territories of Holy Sun.

A significant portion had also gone toward expanding Winston’s personal military power, since the original imperial forces of Solaris had long ago been annihilated, scattered, or driven into exile toward Riverdale.

More than anything, Winston had simply enjoyed luxury too much to abandon the palace entirely. The grandeur of the previous Solaris Empire had suited him well.

Now, however, traces of the church had been systematically removed from the halls.

Servants, soldiers, and officials who had resisted their takeover had either died during the conflict or surrendered afterward. Those who surrendered had been imprisoned temporarily until their loyalties could be properly assessed.

Cruel as it might appear to outsiders, such measures were necessary.

William understood very well that releasing unstable elements during the establishment of a new regime was far more dangerous than earning temporary resentment. Public dissatisfaction could always be soothed later through reform and stability. Betrayal from within could destroy an empire entirely, and he was not someone who would repeat the mistake of his father.

He would not let snakes fester in his own house, no matter how insignificant and weak they were; if your external enemy managed to support them, then you could be harmed very severely, just like what happened in the case of Winston.

Inside the restored throne hall, rows upon rows of warriors from different races stood in perfect formation along the massive crimson carpet leading toward the throne.

The atmosphere radiated overwhelming grandeur.

Most of the soldiers were still stained with dirt, blood, and the remnants of battle. Yet rather than diminishing the elegance of the ceremony, those stains only enhanced the symbolism of the moment.

To the people watching across Aris, it looked as though the throne had been reclaimed by carving the path of blood, which was greatly true.

That image of bloodstains engraved itself deeply into the minds of billions of audience members.

Suddenly, trumpets sounded throughout the hall and ceremonial drums rolled in a thunderous rhythm. The massive doors slowly opened.

Empress Anastasia Solaris entered the throne hall with an elegant disposition.

The moment she stepped into the hall, countless viewers across the continent focused solely on her.

She draped a royal crimson velvet cape lined with white fur that trailed several feet behind her as she walked. Beneath it flowed a silky black gown woven with intricate golden embroidery that shimmered beneath the hall’s light. Her silver hair cascaded elegantly over her shoulders, and the calm dignity in her expression made her appear every bit the ruler she was about to become.

Beside her right and 2 steps back walked Yue Qinglan, the ancestor of Riverdale, and on Anastasia’s left side walked William, four steps back from her.

Unlike the battle-worn figure the continent had seen earlier, William had now changed completely in appearance.

Gone was the rugged young warrior stained with blood and ash.

Now he wore princely black ceremonial robes embroidered with flowing golden patterns matching those of his mother’s attire. Crimson accents lined the sleeves and collar, creating an imposing contrast that enhanced both elegance and authority. A strange mark of a crescent moon with a strange character remained etched in his forehead, making him look even more mythical and mysterious.

These robes that both he and Anne wore were not ordinary garments. William had purchased them directly from the System Shop.

They possessed unique enchantments capable of subtly influencing perception, amplifying the wearer’s presence while evoking feelings of awe, reverence, and instinctive admiration in those who witnessed them.

And the effects were already working.

Every step taken by the mother and son pair seemed to elevate their aura and affect the air they touched with an electric radiance.

As for where William had obtained the SP necessary to purchase such luxurious items…

The answer lay in the newest quest assigned to him shortly after his revival from death.

———⁜⁜⁜——————⁜⁜⁜———

[# System Quest — Victors Write History]

[Description: Congratulations on winning the war you waged against the Church.]

[Task: As the victor, manipulate the narrative in your favor and make yourself look just and fair.]

[Rewards: SP equal to the number of people whose opinions you successfully manage to influence.]

———⁜⁜⁜——————⁜⁜⁜———

The quest had presented William with an opportunity almost absurd in scale.

The Aris Continent possessed a population nearing 30 billion. Naturally, he could not reach every individual directly, but even influencing a fraction of that number would yield an unimaginable amount of sp.

And so he had carefully structured everything from the very beginning.

By utilizing the Celestial Army’s broadcast network, he ensured that the speeches reached nearly every major region across the continent. More importantly, he intentionally handed the emotionally persuasive portions of the address to Anastasia.

Her Voice of the Moon spell, combined with the image she represented, a grieving wife who had lost her husband and endured sixteen years of suffering, parting with her child and her family, made her infinitely more eligible for public sympathy than William himself could ever appear. That was what William personally thought; maybe he was undermining his own self here, but he still did what he felt was the right thing to do.

William understood his own limitations.

To most people, he was still merely a sixteen-year-old boy, regardless of his achievements. Even if he gained the spell from his mother and tried to use the same emotional manipulation spell himself, the effect would never have carried the same weight.

A grieving empress, wife, and mother influenced hearts far more effectively than a young boy who was considered a prodigy and was infamous for his unrestrained tongue after his archon’s speech.

Furthermore, he knew these broadcasts would continue circulating across the continent for days, perhaps even weeks. Recordings would spread through cities, villages, and territories where people had missed the original transmission, continuously increasing the number of minds influenced by his narrative.

An address by a new empress was much more sellable than a prince’s address.

So far, he had already earned roughly 4.35 billion SP through this quest, and it was not getting over anytime soon until people completely stopped watching or circulating the speech after this day onwards.

William himself found the number absurd.

Compared to the mere 3 million that he received for previous major quests, the difference felt almost surreal.

The ceremonial robes alone had cost him one million SP, which he spent without blinking an eye.

Even after that expense, he still possessed more wealth, and he already had plans for how to use it.