Chapter 148: March Forward

In the vast empty lands of the Southern Continent, endless plains stretched toward the horizon, with nothing but grass, hills, and distant mountains surrounding the enormous gathering.

The land had been chosen as the meeting ground for the forces of Essiel, giving the countless warriors enough space to assemble without the presence of any civilization nearby.

Thousands of warriors stood across the plains, their weapons prepared and their armor secured. Behind them stood the Twelve Constellations and their personal forces, each group carrying its own banner, armor, weapons, and presence that made it clear they were among the strongest forces in the world.

The Scarlet Church stood beneath crimson banners, thousands of followers wearing dark red cloaks and carrying weapons decorated with the symbol of blood. The Salean Kingdom’s army stood nearby, an advanced force of knights and mages arranged in organized formations, while their enormous royal banner fluttered proudly above them.

The Demonic Race stood with their powerful bodies exposed beneath pieces of armor, their red skin and refined muscles making them appear more like warriors born for battle than ordinary soldiers.

The beastmen stood beside the Beast Emperor, consisting of countless races such as wolves, bears, tigers, lions, birds, and other powerful creatures, while several enormous Beast Kings towered over them like living mountains.

The undead army of the Dark Elf Witch stood completely still, their rotten bodies covered in dark energy as countless skeletons, corpses, and mutated undead creatures waited for their command.

The warriors of pride gathered beneath Lapace, while the Griffon Race remained behind the Sky Devourer, hundreds of enormous griffons spreading their wings and filling the sky with their silhouettes.

The Gnome warriors stood behind the Headless Gnome, carrying weapons far more advanced than what their small bodies suggested.

The Fishman warriors stood behind the Sea Conquerer, armed with weapons forged from materials gathered beneath the ocean, while Thousand Petal’s forces remained beside the Salean army.

Onyx Elf, as expected, stood alone.

He had no army behind him, nor did he seem interested in having one.

The Constellations waited.

No one spoke. Then, far across the plains, something began to appear.

At first, it looked like tiny stars scattered across the distant horizon. Countless white particles slowly emerged from the empty air, drifting across the land like snow before beginning to gather together.

The particles started forming shapes.

First came the outlines of bodies, followed by armor, weapons, clothing, and finally faces. One after another, figures began materializing across the distant plains, until what had once been empty land was suddenly occupied by thousands of individuals.

They were the dead.

Warriors who had fallen in the previous timeline had returned.

Some immediately looked down at their hands, slowly moving their fingers as they felt their bodies once again. Others turned toward the surrounding plains, staring at the grass, mountains, and open sky with expressions of disbelief.

They remembered this land.

They remembered fighting upon it.

Some of the warriors began laughing, while others smiled as they walked across the grass and felt the earth beneath their feet once again.

After spending so long in the realm of the dead, simply being able to feel the wind against their faces was enough to bring them an indescribable joy.

The forces of the Underworld were even more emotional.

They had spent countless years surrounded by darkness, stone, and the souls of the dead, never expecting to see the living world again.

Some of them raised their faces toward the sky, staring at the clouds as though they were witnessing something far more beautiful than any treasure they had ever seen.

"So this is the surface again..." One of them whispered while looking around.

Others began talking among themselves, laughing and enjoying the sensation of standing upon real land.

Some even knelt down and placed their hands against the grass, almost as if they needed to convince themselves that what they were experiencing was real.

The battlefield slowly became filled with chatter.

Then every voice suddenly stopped.

The sky began to grow brighter.

A brilliant light appeared high above the plains, illuminating the entire battlefield with a radiance that forced countless warriors to look upward. The clouds slowly parted as countless particles of light gathered together, forming a massive column of brilliance descending from the heavens.

Something existed within that light.

A black figure slowly descended from above.

The figure possessed no recognizable face or features, its entire body covered in an endless darkness that seemed deeper than the night sky itself.

The brilliant light surrounding him only made his black form appear more unnatural, as though the heavens themselves were illuminating the presence of something that should not have existed.

The figure slowly descended until he hovered above the battlefield.

It was the Entity.

The entire Southern Continent became silent.

Then his voice resonated across the vast plains, reaching every warrior without needing to be shouted.

"Is everyone ready?"

No one answered. Not a single individual dared to speak.

The Entity looked across the countless warriors before suddenly seeming to remember something.

"Oh, I just remembered. Many of you do not actually know who I am yet."

His voice remained calm, almost casual, despite the overwhelming presence that surrounded him.

"I am the Creator of this world. You may call me the Entity."

The atmosphere became heavier.

"I created these lands, shaped the souls that inhabit them, and brought forth the Pantheons whom you call gods. Every race, every creature, and everything that exists within this world came into existence because of my will."

The Entity slowly looked across the battlefield.

"This world is not merely a place you inhabit. It is something I created, something I have watched since its beginning, and something I now intend to protect."

His gaze moved toward the enormous armies.

"Are the forces ready?"

The warriors remained silent, but their expressions were enough to answer him.

"Good."

The Entity continued.

"However, many of you may still be unaware of what will happen today. The enemy does not reside within this world. They exist in another world, beyond the boundaries of Essiel, and they possess the intention of eventually invading our home."

His voice echoed across the plains.

"We are not crossing into their world to conquer it, nor are we seeking territory or wealth. We are going there because waiting for them to come to us would only allow history to repeat itself."

The Entity’s voice became heavier.

"This invasion is meant to stop their invasion."

The warriors listened carefully.

"We will cross into their world, confront the threat at its source, and prevent them from ever reaching Essiel. You will not fight merely for victory. You will fight so that the world behind you can continue to exist."

The Entity then turned his attention toward the Constellations.

"Twelve Constellations, and those who have reached the pinnacle, introduce yourselves and the forces standing behind you. Let those gathered here know who will stand at the forefront of this battle."

The Scarlet Queen stepped forward first.

"Scarlet Queen, Apostle of the God of Blood. Behind me stand the forces of the Scarlet Church."

"Magic Swordswoman, Apostle of the God of Blade and Fire. Behind me stand the forces of the Salean Kingdom."

"Thousand Petal, Apostle of the God of Harvest."

He simply introduced himself, his forces already standing alongside the Salean army.

"Dark Emperor, Apostle of the God of Night. Behind me stand the proud warriors of the Demonic Race and the Southern Continent."

The demonic warriors behind him grinned, their powerful red bodies covered with weapons and armor as they eagerly awaited the opportunity to fight.

"Dark Elf Witch, Apostle of the God of Evil."

Behind her stood a terrifying army of rotten beings, their bodies releasing thick dark energy that caused the surrounding atmosphere to feel cold.

"Beast Emperor, Apostle of the God of Bravery. Behind me stand the forces of the Beast Kingdom."

Countless beastmen stood behind Estoa, from massive bears and tigers to wolves, lions, birds, and other races, while the enormous Beast Kings stood above them, their roars shaking the surrounding plains.

"Lapace the Overproud, Apostle of the God of Pride. Behind me stand the mighty warriors who embody pride."

The warriors behind Lapace raised their weapons, their expressions filled with confidence.

"Onyx Elf, Apostle of the God of Darkness."

Nothing else followed. There were no forces behind him.

"Sky Devourer. Behind me stand the forces of the Griffon Race."

Hundreds of griffons spread their wings behind her, their powerful cries echoing through the sky.

"Headless Gnome. Behind me stand the powerful warriors of the Gnome Race."

The gnome warriors raised their weapons proudly.

"Sea Conquerer, Apostle of the God of Water. Behind me stand the warriors of the Fishman Race."

The fishmen stood together behind him, their weapons prepared for the coming battle.

The introductions finally ended.

"Good."

His gaze then shifted toward the dead warriors and the forces that had returned from the Underworld.

"Now, the Underworld and the fallen warriors."

One individual representing the Underworld stepped forward.

"The warriors of the Underworld are ready."

A fallen warrior then stepped forward from among the dead.

"The warriors from the Heavenly Mountain are ready."

The Entity nodded. "Good."

He looked across the enormous gathering once more.

"Then, shall we begin?"

The Entity paused before continuing.

"But before we do, there is something you must understand. Once you cross the boundary between worlds, your memories of what happened here will be altered when this journey is completed."

Several warriors exchanged confused looks.

"This is not punishment, nor is it meant to diminish what you accomplish. The memories of this world must remain separated from what lies beyond it, otherwise the knowledge of that foreign world may eventually disrupt the balance of Essiel."

The Entity’s voice echoed calmly.

"Therefore, if you possess hesitation, fear, or doubt, you may refuse now. No warrior will be forced to follow me beyond this point."

No one moved.

The Entity remained silent for a moment before raising his arm toward the heavens.

"Then let us begin."

A black circular formation appeared high above the distant horizon.

At first, it was nothing more than a small ring of darkness, but it rapidly expanded across the sky. Space around it began twisting inward, while the clouds were pulled toward its center as though an invisible force was tearing open the boundary of the world.

The Entity raised his arm vertically.

The black formation suddenly expanded further, revealing a massive void in the distance.

The darkness within it was completely empty.

The Entity lowered his gaze toward the armies. "Now, move forward."

The armies of Essiel began marching toward the black opening in the sky, while the Constellations followed behind them.

No one knew what awaited them beyond that darkness.

But there was no turning back now.