Most of the time, the world did not go as planned. Gwen had thought that the confrontation between the royal family and the Eastern Region would last until the end of the Great Wall, and that Ansu would have at least a year of peace before the war reignited. But in fact, just half a year had passed, and another fire was burning from an unexpected place. To be honest, the actions of the Doomsday Cult were beyond Gwen's expectations.
He did know that the cult of darkness was a hidden danger, and that the cultists were crazy and destructive. But until he found the "vines" in the Umbra Realm, he did not expect that the cult's corruption had become so serious. Until last month, he also did not expect that they would directly attack the royal family and the nobles' army in the Eastern Region. At this point, their actions had completely deviated from the concept of a "cult of darkness".
On the 5th of the Month of Recovery 738 in Ansu, Gwen, Amber, and the others returned to Cecil City and immediately summoned the personnel in charge of the military and intelligence.
In a high-level meeting room in the government office, Amber reported the information that had just been sent by her subordinates.
"… About two-thirds of the military intelligence officers have already received the order and are on their way back to the Southern Territory. The remaining one-third of the officers are still uncontactable. The last report they sent back was on the last day of last month. The officers in White Pine Town, an area controlled by the royal family, reported that the local residents were holding a secret and suspicious gathering, and the local lord had not appeared for three weeks."
Gwen looked at Amber and asked, "Where are the missing personnel mainly located?"
"The intersection between the royal-controlled area and the Eastern Region, and the confrontation zone. Currently, the intelligence in these areas has been completely cut off."
Heidi, who was on Gawain's right hand, stood up and said, "Since the end of last month, all the caravans, travelers, and adventurers from the above areas have been suspended. The last time the Firmrock Fortress and the Gilan area registered an entry from the above areas was on the 41st of the Cold Month. A caravan. We have been closely monitoring all the people who entered the country from the above areas last winter and are still in the south. We have not found any signs of curses, divine spells, or plagues, but the quarantine is still going on. In addition, the intelligence sent back by White Sand Mining is all normal, and the order of the Eastern Region is not affected. I have ordered Holmes to be vigilant and ready to evacuate. "
Gwen nodded and turned to Rebecca. "Any progress on Kamel's side?"
Rebecca hurriedly stood up as well. "Yes, yes. Mr. Kamel gave us a lot of information, including the characteristics of the various stages of the Abomination's mutation and the characteristics of the magic reaction. He said that the biggest characteristic of the Abomination was that it could release arcane energy of various attributes uncontrollably. However, he also said that this was all information from a thousand years ago. There was no guarantee that the Abomination created by the Finality Order would be the same."
Finally, Gwen looked at Philip and Byron.
"The armored forces are on standby at the Rock Fortress and the Gilan area." Philip was the first to stand up. "In addition to the tanks with heavy burners, we have also prepared a large amount of 'conventional' fuel, including alchemical grease and sticky gum."
Then, Byron said, "Warships can block the Dorgon River at any time."
Gwen heaved a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, no matter how unexpected the Finality Order's actions were, he was not completely unprepared.
He had always been prepared for the worst.
Then, he turned his eyes to Solderlin.
The high-ranking ranger had already stood up and looked like he was waiting for orders.
"Bring your best team, bring the best equipment, and enter the eastern part of the Divine Spirit Plains. We have to understand the situation there."
Heti took a deep breath. Although she had already guessed that this would happen, she could not help but remind Roland. "This may be seen as a provocation or even an invasion by the nobles of the Divine Spirit Plains …"
"Then they're welcome to come to me with their heads," Gawain said calmly. "If they can't protect their land and people, I'll help them. If they can't see the situation clearly, I'll help them too."
Then he continued, "Solderlin, follow the direction of Pompeii, Lenburg, and Giantwood to enter the confrontation zone, but do not go too deep. If you find refugees that you can help, immediately send a signal. I will order Sir Walter to prepare a batch of mechanical ships to stand by at the mouth of the Dorgon River to support you at any time. But if you find that the plague has begun … withdraw immediately."
The high-ranking ranger hit his chest with his hand and said, "Yes."
Gwen would try his best to save the people of the Divine Spirit Plains who might be in danger, but he could not save everyone. He also had to consider that the deadly plague had spread in the depths of the confrontation zone between the Royal Family and the Eastern Region. The refugees who escaped from the area were infected. In this situation, he had to ensure the safety of the Southern Region.
…
In the depths of the confrontation zone in the Divine Spirit Plains, a sudden thick fog shrouded the entire area of Giantwood Road.
White Pine Town, Giantwood Valley, Gorrondo, Graymountain City, Giantstone City … In just a few hours, more than a dozen towns and countless villages, camps, and manors were shrouded in fog.
The giant sun was high in the sky, but the heat of the sun still could not disperse the thick fog. Houses, churches, the spire of the bell tower, walls, and everything appeared hazy in the gray fog. The sun from the sky was particularly dim because of the thick fog. Under the weak sunlight, the doors and windows of the houses were tightly shut, and the towns seemed to have suddenly become empty.
In front of a barracks, the soldiers were looking uneasily at the scene on the street not far away. This abnormal fog seemed to hide a frightening power. Even the boldest soldiers couldn't help but feel nervous when they saw the street faintly discernible in the fog.
"This damn weather … Shit fog." A soldier clenched the spear in his hand and cursed to ease the tension in his heart. "The fog this spring is too thick!"
"I have never seen such a thick fog in my life." Another soldier muttered. "I heard that only Typhon has this kind of weather. They have to spend half of the year in the fog."
"I feel a little itchy. I suspect that I have not bathed for the whole winter."
"Don't doubt it. You have not bathed for the whole winter."
A few words of idle chatter seemed to have dispelled the tension in the hearts of the soldiers. They became relaxed and once again looked at the shadowy street in the distance.
A tall figure walked out of the fog into the sight of the soldiers.
"Who is it?" The soldiers subconsciously clenched their weapons and shouted at the figure walking out of the fog.
In another town, a few knights who were patrolling the surroundings of the feudal lord's castle stopped cautiously. A tall, shadowy figure walked out of the strange fog in the distance and approached silently.
The figure was wearing a large black robe, and all the face was hidden in the deep shadow of the hood. The Knight could only recognize that the figure was astonishingly tall. It was like the legendary mountain people who had half the blood of the giants. The height of nearly three meters was something that people could only look up to.
The knights quickly unsheathed their swords and shouted, "Stop! You are stepping into the viscount's forbidden area! "
The tall figure stopped. In the dark shadow of the hood, there seemed to be a pair of heterogeneous eyes quietly watching the Knight in front of him.
The Knight suddenly felt a little itchy on their bodies.
On the streets of the town, a figure of nearly three meters in height wearing a black robe walked out of the fog.
They strolled on the streets as if they had no destination, but appeared almost uniformly in every place.
The tightly shut doors and windows opened, and a large number of civilians hiding in the houses walked out.
Some of them were nervous, some were fanatical, and some were joyful. They wore all kinds of expressions as they silently and tacitly walked on the streets, following behind the tall figures.
More confused and uneasy gazes appeared behind the opened windows. The owners of these gazes looked at the scene on the streets in a daze, as if they did not know what was going on. But as the tall figures in black robes walked past them, the confusion in these gazes gradually faded. They also opened their doors and walked on the streets.
On the roof of a church, the twin elves who looked almost identical stood on the eaves, smiling as they looked at the scene in the fog.
"Did you hear that?" they said softly, "That heart has truly begun to beat …"
…
The sound of the heartbeat filled the entire underground valley. It was powerful and intimidating the mind of every person who dared to step into this place.
The patriarchs of All Things' End who were guarding the Abyss of Flesh and Blood stood on a platform floating above the magma. They held their breaths as they looked ahead with fanaticism and anticipation.
A gigantic lump of flesh bound by rune chains in midair was wriggling and changing along with the heartbeat. After every heartbeat, the gigantic and twisted lump of flesh would become more condensed, breaking away from that terrifying, filthy, and bloody state.
It gradually grew limbs, fur, and took the form of a giant deer.
Countless blindfolded slaves with their eyes, ears, and runic collars were lined up on the bridge, walking forward in a daze along the bridge that led to the body of the false god. Whenever they were a few meters away from the 'giant deer', their bodies would be eroded by some invisible force, instantly turning into indescribable, twisted flesh and blood and fusing with the false god's body. Then, most of the flesh and blood would be discarded as' waste 'and fall into the surging magma below. Only a few glimmering' factors' were left behind, becoming 'food' for the false god's body to grow.
Those were the Abomination Factors, inherited by humans from the Gondor era. They belonged to the gods.
Now, they were reuniting and creating a new god.
But the number was still not enough. This level of 'sacrifice' was still not enough. The process of awakening the false god's body stagnated at the last step. The giant deer, which already had a sense of holiness and power, floated quietly above the magma. Its eyes were still closed. Its fur and the veins and muscles under its fur were still wriggling, as if it was in the process of reuniting and collapsing.
A figure walked out from the shadows. He was wearing a black priest's robe with complicated patterns, but his face was hidden in some twisted illusion. He stepped into the air and came to the head of the 'giant deer'. The patriarch of All Things' End and the other priests on the platform all knelt down neatly. "Patriarch!"
The patriarch of All Things' End, who had locked himself in a secret chamber for hundreds of years and rarely showed himself in public, finally left his room and came to the final ritual ground.
"Now there is only one step left," the man whose face was shrouded in illusion said. "The artificial god needs more Abomination Factors, needs the first and last believers …
"Let us begin."
…
* Gulp … *
The soldier swallowed nervously. Even though the figure in the black robe had stopped not far away from him.
He had to summon up his courage by shouting, "Take off your hood -- at once!"
The figure in the black robe stood motionless. It was not until half a minute later that he tilted his head slightly as if he was listening to the sound in the air.
Then, he took off his hood, and the black robe turned to ash silently.
A giant made of flesh and crystal stood in the thick fog. The pair of crystallized eyes without any human features stared at the soldier in front of him.
The soldier opened his mouth in great shock, but he could not make any sound.
He stared at the giant and shuddered as if he was looking at the messenger of God. His teeth quickly turned into crystals, and crystal clusters grew on the surface of his body. His joints cracked, and energy surged in his flesh.
He raised his head, and in his rapidly mutating vision, he saw a holy radiance emerge from the depths of the thick fog. A pure white giant deer walked out of the radiance. The giant deer had horns made of light and eyes made of crystal.
The giant deer looked at him with pity, but also as if it was looking at everyone in the world. A sigh came from the light.
The sigh seemed to contain endless regret and helplessness.
Ansu 738, the 10th of the Month of Recovery.
The first disaster caused by the power of God in this era was started by human hands.
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