Chapter 578 - 577: Prelude to the war 3

Chapter 578: Chapter 577: Prelude to the war 3

"Are you alright, Your Majesty?" the surrounding guards asked.

"I am fine," the king replied, his expression darkening. "But my people are being killed. Is there anything you can do to protect them?"

The guards exchanged helpless glances before looking toward the ground in guilt.

"We’re sorry, Your Majesty," one of them said.

The king’s expression changed as he listened to the anguished wails of his people.

Today was supposed to be a glorious day.

Instead, it had become a miserable bloodbath.

His people were dying one after another, and there was nothing he could do.

This continued for several more minutes.

Then, gradually, the violent winds surrounding the energy whirlpool began to weaken.

The enormous vortex slowly faded, revealing a gigantic ruin more than fifteen thousand kilometers in size.

It floated above the kingdom, casting an enormous shadow over the entire land.

At this moment, the kingdom’s only Middle-Level Rank 0 expert finally emerged.

"Sir Belord..." the king called out in shock as he looked at the middle-aged man who had appeared before him.

"Can you tell us what this is?"

"And why did it kill my people?" the king asked through gritted teeth.

Belord frowned slightly as he examined the enormous ruin.

"If I’m not mistaken..."

"This is a Blessed Ruin."

"It killed our people and turned the surrounding forests into a desert because it required an enormous amount of energy to manifest in our world."

Hearing this, not only was the king stunned, but the nobles were as well.

They stared at the gigantic floating island that had appeared above their kingdom, their expressions filled with surprise.

Just moments ago, they had been horrified by what was happening.

Now...

Their fear had been replaced by excitement.

A Blessed Ruin.

That meant resources.

Enormous resources.

Although they had no idea where it had come from, as long as it had appeared within their territory, the deaths of their people suddenly seemed like a price worth paying.

With this ruin...

Their kingdom might finally be able to take a step forward.

Even the king’s eyes gleamed with greed when he heard the words.

A Blessed Ruin?

Even the Ynvashi Kingdom didn’t possess one.

If their tiny kingdom could obtain and fully digest the resources within this ruin, then perhaps, in a few hundred years, they could develop into a powerful kingdom comparable to the Ynvashi Kingdom.

"Although it has manifested, it is still protected by a barrier."

"I assume that barrier is the reason the ruin was able to survive until today."

"This place most likely contains remnants of a civilization from thousands of years ago."

Belord continued analyzing the ruin.

The people were amazed once again.

But then...

His expression suddenly turned solemn.

"I don’t think I need to explain this, but we’re a small kingdom."

"If word of this gets out, we won’t be strong enough to keep it."

"So make sure this information doesn’t spread."

Belord’s voice was stern.

Hearing this, the king immediately nodded.

The nobles beside him also wore serious expressions.

They finally realized just how dangerous this situation was.

Their kingdom was extremely weak.

On top of that, they had already lost more than twenty percent of their total population.

If the situation continued, their kingdom could collapse entirely.

But...

They hadn’t lost so many people for nothing.

According to Belord, this was a Blessed Ruin that had existed for thousands of years.

It could have once belonged to an ancient powerhouse.

Perhaps it had been the territory of a powerful organization, a kingdom, or even an ancient civilization.

Whatever the case...

For weak beings like them, the benefits were enormous.

Especially considering the difference in energy concentration.

They were located in a barren region of the Mortal Realm where the energy concentration was low and heavily diluted.

That was precisely why a Middle-Level Rank 0 expert was the strongest existence capable of emerging here.

But this Blessed Ruin...

It could very well possess an energy concentration far greater than even that of the central regions of the Mortal Realm.

Not to mention the cultivation techniques, treasures, rare herbs, and other resources that could potentially be found inside such a ruin.

They had been extremely fortunate.

Their reward had come after an enormous risk.

Therefore, they understood just how important this opportunity was.

They didn’t dare make a single mistake.

Soon, they began mobilizing their guards.

The entire kingdom was placed under lockdown beneath the shadow of the enormous ruin.

Belord stared at the Blessed Ruin with a smile.

As long as the news didn’t spread, everything would be fine.

Once the barrier protecting the ruin from the outside world disappeared, he could enter and attempt to claim control over it.

Once he succeeded, he could potentially shrink the entire ruin into his palm or relocate it somewhere else, preventing neighboring kingdoms from discovering it.

Even passing merchants wouldn’t be able to stumble upon it.

All they needed...

Was enough time.

Belord’s heart was filled with excitement.

Who could have imagined that someone like him would receive such an opportunity?

He knew that although he could be considered talented...

That talent only mattered at the edge of the Mortal Realm.

Compared to the central regions...

He was nothing more than an ordinary Awakened.

Middle-Level Rank 0 was his limit.

But with this ruin...

That could all change.

His lifespan could be extended, freeing him from the worries of aging.

His cultivation could also rise.

Perhaps one day...

He could become a terrifying powerhouse.

Belord clenched his fist.

There were countless risks and opportunities on the path of power.

And sometimes...

A single opportunity was enough to change one’s entire destiny.

And so...

The tiny Guju Kingdom was sealed off from the outside world.

The news was successfully suppressed as the entire kingdom raced against time to conquer the Blessed Ruin before anyone else discovered it.

But what they didn’t know...

Was that this wasn’t happening only in their kingdom.

Across the entire Mortal Realm...

Blessed Ruins were appearing one after another.

The concentration of energy was rapidly increasing.

Ancient inheritances were emerging.

Opportunities that had remained hidden for countless years were beginning to surface.

The Mortal Realm...

Was slowly but surely entering a new era.

An era where opportunities would appear one after another.

And with those opportunities...

Chaos would inevitably follow.

***********

Back at the Molak Family...

Several weeks had passed since the incident, and the family was finally ready.

With Princess Rasel leading them, they had prepared their forces to march toward the Ynvashi Kingdom and fight for the throne.

It was already autumn.

During these past few weeks, they had gathered an enormous amount of support, especially after the entire Mortal Realm had been reminded of the terrifying strength of the Molak Family.

As kingdoms, noble families, and various organizations sent their forces to support them, a massive mobilization began.

During this period, Keith and Kiro had also refined their strength even further.

Although neither of them had advanced to a higher realm, their abilities had improved significantly.

However...

Keith had been suffering from that familiar feeling once again.

The thirst.

He had tried everything he knew to suppress it, but eventually, he discovered the only thing that could truly satisfy it.

Death.

To put it simply...

Keith needed to kill.

Ever since the day he had killed those two disciples, the thirst within him had only grown stronger.

Yet he endured it.

He waited.

He had been waiting for the war.

Because once the battle began, he would finally have countless opportunities to satisfy his craving without worrying about being discovered or executed.

At the rear of the army stood Devon, with Keith positioned to his left and Kiro to his right.

At the front were the strongest members of the Molak Family, each one a Peak Rank 0 expert.

Among them stood Princess Rasel.

They were all smiling as they chatted with her while leading the massive army forward.

Their march alone caused an enormous movement that shook the entire Mortal Realm.

Above them...

Two figures silently watched over the army.

The newly advanced Quasi Rank 1 Grand Elder, Riua...

And the ancient Ancestor of the Molak Family.

Together, they stood at the very peak of the Mortal Realm.