Chapter 84: History of Aethelgard

At that moment, Arthur stepped forward.

His calm gaze swept across the assembled soldiers, the six Archdukes, and the enormous city stretching behind them. He had no intention of wasting hours arguing with people who lacked the strength to oppose him.

"You have five minutes to decide what you will do. Submit to me, and your civilization will continue to exist under my protection. Refuse, and I’ll eradicate your entire race."

He delivered the ultimatum without raising his voice.

The six Archdukes felt an unprecedented chill run down their spines. They had witnessed the overwhelming power of the human who had somehow subdued their king, and they understood that his threat was not an empty boast.

If he truly decided to destroy them, the Atlantian Empire might not survive the day.

Panic spread through the assembled forces as the merfolk began discussing their options. Some vehemently opposed surrendering their civilization to a human, while others argued that resisting someone capable of defeating Atlas would amount to collective suicide.

The six Archdukes gathered together, exchanging urgent opinions as the remaining time slipped away.

"Do we really have a choice?" one of them whispered.

"If His Majesty Atlas has already surrendered, what can we accomplish by fighting?"

"Perhaps we should submit for now and reconsider our options later."

"Are you insane? Did you not hear what he said? He intends to bind us with some kind of contract!"

Their discussion continued until the final moments passed. Eventually, survival prevailed over pride, and the six Archdukes stepped forward together.

"We are willing to submit to Your Majesty Arthur."

Arthur nodded.

"Good. Swallow these pills."

He waved his hand, and six pills flew toward the Archdukes. Additional pills appeared in his palm, which he distributed among the other powerful individuals gathered nearby.

Arthur had purchased these special pills from the system shop moments earlier. They contained the means to establish Master Slave Contracts, allowing him to secure the loyalty of the civilization’s most influential figures without individually controlling every ordinary soldier.

As long as the leaders remained under his authority, managing the rest of the population would be considerably easier.

The Archdukes stared at the pills with complicated expressions. None of them wanted to consume something whose purpose they barely understood, but with Arthur’s overwhelming power looming over them, refusing was hardly a viable option.

One by one, they swallowed the pills.

The effects took hold almost immediately.

An invisible connection formed between Arthur and each recipient, binding their souls through the Master Slave Contract. Their hostility toward Arthur rapidly disappeared, replaced by an overwhelming sense of reverence and absolute submission.

The transformation was so sudden that even the Archdukes themselves struggled to comprehend it.

Moments earlier, they had regarded Arthur as an enemy who threatened their civilization. Now, they could barely entertain a hostile thought toward their new master.

They immediately lowered their heads and knelt before him.

"Greetings, Master!"

Their voices rang out together.

The surrounding soldiers stared at their leaders in terror. They had watched the six Archdukes, individuals who stood at the pinnacle of their civilization, kneel before a human without offering the slightest resistance.

Although the ordinary soldiers had not consumed the pills, they had no intention of testing Arthur’s patience. They immediately lowered their weapons and knelt alongside their leaders, surrendering their resistance before the situation could deteriorate further.

Arthur surveyed the scene with satisfaction.

"Good. Now return to your positions and manage your people. Ensure that the entire capital understands the new order. Nobody is to create unnecessary trouble."

"As you command, Master!"

The six Archdukes rose and immediately began issuing orders to their subordinates. Their actions were efficient, and within moments, the chaotic gathering began reorganizing itself into an orderly force.

Arthur had successfully taken control of an entire civilization without destroying a single building.

With that matter settled, he turned toward Atlas.

"Take me to your imperial library."

Atlas bowed.

"Certainly, Your Majesty."

The two departed for the imperial palace, leaving Arthur’s cousins behind to observe the newly conquered capital and its extraordinary civilization.

The imperial library was even more magnificent than Arthur had imagined. Countless books, ancient records, technological documents, and cultivation manuals filled enormous chambers extending across multiple floors.

However, Arthur had no intention of spending weeks studying them individually.

He activated his enhanced learning abilities and began absorbing the information at an astonishing rate. Whenever he encountered an unfamiliar concept, he questioned Atlas, who explained the historical background and practical applications in considerable detail.

Twelve hours passed before Arthur finally finished examining the available records.

By then, he had gained a much clearer understanding of Aethelgard’s history.

According to the ancient records, the planet had once possessed an abundance of natural spiritual energy. This energy allowed countless races to cultivate, develop extraordinary abilities, and establish powerful civilizations across the world.

The merfolk had not been the only dominant race. Numerous other civilizations had once inhabited the surface, and the world had flourished under conditions that made cultivation possible.

Everything changed when a gigantic meteor struck the planet.

The catastrophe devastated the atmosphere and transformed the surface into an environment unsuitable for the civilizations that had once thrived there. Faced with extinction, the merfolk retreated beneath the ocean, where they gradually developed the technology necessary to survive and sealed their entire race for millions of years.

They remained underwater for millions of years as the atmosphere slowly recovered.

However, when the surface eventually became habitable again, something essential had disappeared.

The spiritual energy that once permeated the planet was gone.

Without it, the merfolk could no longer cultivate as their ancestors had. Their civilization survived through technological advancement and mutation, but the extraordinary power their race had once possessed gradually became a distant memory.

Arthur listened to Atlas’s explanations while reviewing the ancient records.

The history was fascinating, but one particular question continued to bother him.

What about the Kaijus?

Despite examining countless historical documents, he had found virtually no information about the creatures. There were no convincing records explaining their origins, their relationship with the ancient civilizations, or how they had come to exist in the present world.

Arthur leaned back slightly, his brows drawing together.

Could the Kaijus have originated from the game itself rather than being native inhabitants of Aethelgard?

The possibility was intriguing, especially considering the mysterious relationship between the Genesis Realm and reality.

However, he lacked sufficient evidence to reach a conclusion.

After thinking about it for a moment, Arthur shook his head and temporarily set the question aside. He could investigate the matter later, once he had gathered more information.

For now, he had a far more important task to complete.

He needed to establish the foundation of his own territory on the surface.

"Atlas, bring me every blueprint related to your most advanced technologies. I want the best designs your civilization has developed, including energy systems, defensive structures, transportation, manufacturing facilities, and anything else that could prove useful for building a city."

Atlas immediately bowed.

"As you command, Your Majesty. I will gather the most valuable blueprints from our imperial archives."

Arthur nodded as his eyes gleamed with anticipation.

The Atlantian Empire had spent thousands of years developing technologies far beyond humanity’s current capabilities. Now that its knowledge and resources were under his control, he could use them to accelerate his plans dramatically.