The Frozen Earth Territory's defenses, the kingdom's east

A light touch of the sharp thorns on his finger did nothing to Ryan's skin, but it still sent shivers of pain through him.

Such thorns will make many enemies despair and hesitate to advance.

But that's not enough.

Ryan stood before the Thorny Jungle, and the seven-figure spiritual balance on his Spirituality Panel began to drain away rapidly. In less than a minute, two hundred thousand spiritual points disappeared, replaced by the Thorny Jungle in front of him expanding wildly.

Following Ryan's will, they moved toward more open areas on both sides. Along the way, the stones under their feet were penetrated by roots, trees collapsed, and their life essence was devoured by this Spiritual Plant. Visibly, the trees on the foothills broke off one by one and disappeared, becoming its food.

The Thorny Jungle is alive; like life itself, it actively devours its competitors under the urging of its spirit, then takes deep root in the earth. Snow cannot stop its progress, and barrenness and cold will not frighten the Thorn Thicket in the slightest.

It was born in the Northlands, and only the most agile footsteps can traverse it.

"Before the Great Wall was built, it was the most solid defense line in the Frozen Earth Territory, and the Orcs could no longer cross it to appear before us."

Ryan said happily that the Spiritual Plant gave him a great sense of security and could also provide him with a sustainable spiritual income.

There was only one main road through the Thorn Thicket. Ryan walked through it, heading further north. The mountains gradually receded into the distance, and what appeared before him was an endless, vast Snow Plains.

Many people live in igloos here, and this is also the site chosen for the Great Wall of the Northlands.

It is also currently the only place in the Frozen Earth Territory where Orcs attacks are possible.

"Have those Orcs not come recently?"

Ryan asked Wolfskin Ulf, who shook his head and said:

"It's too cold here, and they don't want to come close. The wolf pack we brought has already taken root in the Snow Plains, and they will encounter the Orcs before we do."

The wolf pack that Ulf mentioned was naturally the White Wolf and Black Wolf from the worlds of Gam and Fenrir World. After arriving here, they came to the Northlands almost instinctively, and hundreds of years of evolution have made them more adapted to the environment here.

"However... something's strange."

Ulf said this:

"I secretly visited those Orcs tribes. They are very close to us, and because of their huge population losses, their food shortage is not as great as I imagined, but they still keep trying to get closer to us."

Ryan asked:

What's your guess?

After thinking for a moment, Ulf spoke.

"It's probably because the Werewolves have been massacring Orcs recently. They have suffered heavy losses in the war, and they may be worried that other Orcs tribes will threaten their position, causing great panic among other Orcs. They would rather face us than fight against the Werewolves."

It's well-reasoned and I can't think of any new answer.

But this still made Ryan wary.

"I'll have Brandt cooperate with you and increase the vigilance."

Ryan considered the possibility of a full-scale Orcs invasion.

In the Norris Continent, the South third of the continent belongs to humans, while in the the North two-thirds of the world, which is completely covered by the Northlands, Orcs occupy a vast territory, almost one-third of the Norris Continent as well.

This refers to the once most prosperous central region of Norris.

Upon arriving in the Northlands, the northernmost third—no, it should be less than a third, but only one-fifth of the area—was an environment that even the strongest Orcs could not adapt to, let alone an extreme environment that humans could not possibly exploit.

There is no ordinary life there; perhaps only extraordinary life forms like Frost Giant can survive there.

Strictly speaking, the Orcs family occupied the largest territory, but they were mostly concentrated in the Northlands close to humans.

This is likely due to the arrival of the Northlands causing the Orcs to move south, preferring the warmth of the human-oriented areas. However, the previous all-out war waged by Orcs Great King courts against humans was too crude, seemingly carried out under the will of a great Deities.

The Orcs Deities have awakened too? That shouldn't be the case. Neither Dawn nor light gave any warning, and Archbishop Adriana didn't mention it to Ryan.

It seems somewhat unreasonable that he would still instruct Orcs to invade humans while he was still unconscious.

Are the Deities bored and looking to reap the benefits of their own exploitation? Or is it to accelerate their own awakening?

The Orcs acted without warning, which was inconsistent with Orcs foolish and savage instincts.

"After that [Undead] Brenna returns, he should bring back accurate results, right?"

Ryan thought of the Legendary Soul Magic who had gone to the Northlands and had not returned. Perhaps he had gone to the Northlands because he had sensed something.

After leaving the site chosen for the Great Wall, Ryan returned to Rhino Horn Mountain and began dealing with various affairs of the Frozen Earth Territory with Eteria.

The slaves and commoners in this world are so easy to use that there is no such thing as double-dealing; their instinctive obedience to the nobility is ingrained in their very bones.

This made things much easier for Ryan, but as the snow melted faster and spring gradually arrived, things became less easy for him.

As winter fades and spring arrives, all things revive, signifying that what was left unfinished last year will continue. Between Royal Authority and divine power, blood and fire ignite the madness of both sides.

However, to Ryan's surprise, the conflict this year did not begin in the Thousand Lakes Province in the south, but in the the North.

Count Pascal arrived at Zero Crossing City.

His appearance forced Ryan to leave his docile Frozen Earth Territory and travel Frozen Earth Territory to meet this nobleman with an ancient and profound heritage.

The Gargoyle Legion is perhaps the oldest Extraordinary Legion on the entire Norris Continent.

They were born at the very beginning of the Church of Dawn, emerging from the ancient Magic-Immunity Stone to launch their first massacre against the Mages.

Count Pascal arrived in Zero Crossing City because his Gargoyle Legion had received the Emperor's order to serve as protectors of the Andara Kingdom, representing the Empire's emphasis on the kingdom and marking the beginning of the Empire's high nobility's true trust in Count Pascal.

The Gargoyle Legion and the Wyvern Legion need to protect the last remaining life of the Andara Kingdom.

"The bloodline of the Andara Royal Family has been purified. The emperor's methods are mysterious. The beams of Faith of Light have illuminated the Andara Royal City for three nights, making it as clear as day."

"This Miracle has led the people of the kingdom to widely embrace the light, and His Highness ' Nyx ' deserves much credit for this."

"The believers in the light will naturally reject the Dawn. Some chaos broke out within the Andara Kingdom, but it was quickly suppressed by the royal army. All the nobles saw the new Hall Legion that the royal family was gradually building."

"The majesty of the monarchy is rising again, and the Church of Dawn is furious about it."

"The Crusader Atonement Army, which suppressed the rebellious forces on the Path of Dawn, did not return to the Holy Mountain, but instead went the North."

"The legion is currently searching for Bishop Tarik's whereabouts. Even the Elves cannot escape the consequences without paying a price. They will then head north."

"They might not necessarily enter the Sera Kingdom..."

Before meeting Count Pascal, Ryan first checked the news from the two kingdoms to the east. Clearly, the Mute Ascetics and the defeat of the Sera Kingdom last year had made the Pope feel ashamed and dissatisfied. He needed to make the South lands realize the power of the Church of Dawn and that no one could submit to the Empire.

Then, Ryan saw Count Pascal once again, his appearance unchanged.

"Your Excellency."

Ryan bowed, the standard aristocratic etiquette etched into his very being.

Baron Ryan.

Count Pascal nodded. Everyone in the Empire knew that the Baron of the Northlands were more than just Baron.

"Why are you here in person?"

Ryan inquired, firstly because this was his territory, and secondly because as a noble count, Count Pascal had no reason to come to this harsh and cold place to suffer.

"Zero Crossing City is very prosperous, and I had no choice but to come."

"The Church did not launch an attack on the Thousand Lakes Province, but instead started a war in the the North, is because of me."

Count Pascal said that what shocked Ryan was not the Andara Kingdom, but this Gargoyle Count.

"Many people on the Holy Mountain want to kill me."

When Count Pascal said this, Ryan's first reaction was disbelief.

Ryan didn't believe it, nor did the great nobles of the empire or the emperor, but Count Pascal offered no further explanation.

"In short, this will be a very difficult war, and I must be here."

"And the Wyvern Legion, they have already entered the Andara Kingdom and, together with the royal army, will eliminate the Rhino Orcs in the the North of the kingdom within a month."

"I heard that Commander Farrell doesn't have command of the Wyvern Legion?"

Ryan asked, something he had only recently learned, but it wasn't exactly new.

Winged Gorge Commander Farrell, but he only directly Commander the Rampaging Elephant Legion and ordinary troops; control of the Wyvern Legion has always been in the hands of members of the Imperial House.

Loren Columbus.

He was also Nyx's uncle, who died at the Kingdom's Church of Light.

"The Imperial House has invested so much effort in building the Wyvern Legion, so naturally they won't hand it over to Farrell, who isn't even a high-ranking noble."

Pascal didn't find it strange. Before Commander Legendary Knight with the title "Winged Gorge"Rock left, the Imperial House family members couldn't shout or make a fuss, but Farrell can't do that now.

Ryan nodded. In any case, that Extraordinary Legion would not fall into his hands.

"What about the Crusader Atonement Army? What are your thoughts on them, Your Excellency?"

"They... that's why I came here."

The count's expression was serious.

"Those who can defeat the Noble Allied Army and the Elector Atonement Army of Floyd on the Path of Dawn are no weaklings."

Pascal looked at Ryan and said solemnly:

"The Church is rotten; its massive branches have broken, and its roots, which are firmly planted in the soil, are decaying."

"The corrupt Church of Dawn is destroying and lowering all its bottom lines and rules, but the sinners produced in such a corrupt Church of Dawn will be even more powerful than before."

Ryan could understand that logic.

In the past, the rules of the Church were extremely strict, and the demands placed on clergy were so extreme that even the slightest mistake, such as lowering one's voice by a beat during prayer, could result in being arrested and imprisoned to atone for one's sins.

There may be many weak people among them.

But now, would the Church care about such things? Those priests don't even need to pray themselves and it's fine, let alone believers who dedicate themselves to the Lord of Dawn becoming their playthings and being openly admired.

This kind of thing isn't enough to warrant imprisonment.

So who were those Crusader Atonement Army?

A priest who lost the battle on the Holy Mountain, or a war monster who, after committing a grave error, still cannot die in the Abyss.

They are certainly not weak, and their methods are ruthless and have no bottom line, far more extreme than those corrupt clergy.

"If the war in the south ends without a result, the Andara Kingdom in the the North will become a bloody battlefield, as they come with a desire for destruction."

Ryan finally spoke, unable to resist asking the question.

"If it weren't for Your Excellency, wouldn't the Church have sent the Crusader Atonement Army north?"

Ryan's intention was simple: without Count Pascal, the Church's desire to destroy the Andara Kingdom was self-evident, so what was the significance of this count's importance?

"Given the choice between killing King of Andara and killing me, those scum of the Holy Mountain will surely choose the latter."

Ryan saw the extreme coldness and bloodlust in the count's eyes.

He still didn't reveal the reason.

Count Pascal has always needed to gain the trust of the Empire Emperor and the great nobles, to convince them that he is on the side of the Empire. All his efforts over the years have been aimed at achieving this goal.

However, he never revealed his most fundamental reason.

That's why I received all these benefits.

Ryan knew he wouldn't get an answer from her, so he changed the subject and said:

"My friend in the east told me that this army is unlikely to enter the Sera Kingdom."

Count Pascal looked at Ryan in surprise.

"Baron Ryan has a deep grasp on power in the Northlands. No wonder Grand Duke Mayers brought up your repeated violations of noble regulations and rules, and your unauthorized trespassing on the kingdom's land."

"The Grand Duke would actually bring me up himself?"

Ryan laughed; he was very satisfied with the result.

"Meyers has secured control over the tax revenue of Northwind Province for the next thirty years. It's no secret that the Emperor wants to abandon Northwind Province. The great nobles are all waiting to see what Meyers will do; they want to know what Meyers intends to do."

"Does Baron Ryan know that during the previous Orc War, in order to gain the Emperor's support, Grand Duke Mayers almost wiped out the Nightmare Knight Legion?"

"It's not as easy as it seems for the Empire to fight against Orcs entire Great King courts on its own."

Count Pascal shook his head. This was also why the entire empire believed that the Northern Baron was more than just Baron. Ryan personally beheaded the Silvermoon Wolf King, one of the Great King courts.

The more nobles knew about the truth of the war, the more they cared about Ryan.

"The Nightmare Knight Legion was almost wiped out?"

Ryan's eyes widened. "Is this even possible?"

"Yes, the Behemoth Orcs imagined. The Nightmare Knight Legion did their best and held them off at the cost of their lives, but even so, Twilight Fortress is now in ruins."

"Half of the Twilight Province was trampled."

After finishing his statement, Count Pascal continued to describe the current situation.

"If the Crusader Atonement Army doesn't enter the Sera Kingdom, then it will appear to the east of the Andara Kingdom."

"To the east of the kingdom, there are also some noble territories. Those nobles fled from the the North to the South, and their sense of honor and loyalty made them unwilling to submit to any kingdom or empire."

"But they cannot refuse the Church of Dawn; they are also a place of Faith of Dawn."

(End of this chapter)