Chapter 366
"Kexia Fies, do you still remember what the Emperor looked like? To my shame, I've almost forgotten."
Even if I admire him, love him, respect him, and thank him, and am sincerely loyal to that emperor, my mind still cannot resist this strange erosion. Perhaps one day, even the Emperor's gender will become blurred in my consciousness?
"I know that forgetting him is exactly what His Majesty desires."
"Humans are fragile and forgetful creatures. As long as we follow the Emperor's will, I suppose that in two hundred years, all traces of the Emperor will have completely disappeared."
"Call it rebellion or excessive delusion, I still want to preserve everything about him. I suppose you feel the same way, otherwise why would you have the foolish idea of continuing the Glazed Liuli Holy Light Dragon for thousands or even tens of thousands of years?"
"I don't reject this folly, but compared to that fleeting warmth that might not even be remembered, I hope to truly redeem Your Majesty."
"The Emperor is always lonely; he fights alone, his blood never ceases to flow, for the flames that surpass destruction and the end, like restless, vengeful spirits, linger around him, gnawing at his flesh, just like a traitor."
"Kexia Fies, have you ever experienced being burned by the Emperor's flames?"
"I've experienced it. It's the pain of having your soul crushed repeatedly, your blood boiling and evaporating, your bone marrow melting away. It's the kind of pain that can kill someone in a fraction of a second, more terrifying than death itself."
"Even though the Emperor saved me with the Philosopher's Stone, I still experienced phantom pain for a month afterward before I could barely regain my sanity."
"Only after that did I realize that the Emperor had been carrying such pain all along, but he never said a word, always selfless and gentle like an innocent, overly kind young man."
"That shouldn't be the case. He brought hope to the world, saved countless lives, and gave humanity a new future."
"Shouldn't such a great person be the one who deserves happiness the most?"
"His Majesty has left. He did not give us a chance to repay him. I may spend the rest of my life in regret and guilt, but that is precisely why I cannot give up easily."
"I have designed a draft, intending to use all the time and expertise of the Tiffany Family, spanning thousands of years, and surpassing the forging and alchemy taught by the Emperor, to forge armor in the name of Tiffany that can protect His Majesty from being scorched by the flames."
Will I succeed? Will the Tiffany Family succeed?
"I don't know, but I still hope that His Majesty, one day in the future, will no longer be burdened with grief, will embrace his loved ones, and find happiness."
Volume 1: 339. The Situation of All Parties, the Apocalypse, She's So Cute. (5K)
The Calembert Empire.
Wangyue Commandery, guarding the border city.
At the Ninth National Magic Academy, a dark wave devoured the Magic Element, rapidly destroying the structure of the spell barrier like sulfuric acid corroding skin, causing it to collapse one after another in a one-sided manner.
Those bizarre, biologically defying Calamity Beasts crawled out of the black tide. They multiplied and proliferated, fearless of death and suffering, like an army gathered into the sea, wantonly destroying, devouring, and killing.
"Haina Rhodes" stood blankly beside the spire of the third teaching building, being pushed back by the fleeing crowd. In the distance, there were bursts of fire from explosions and occasional deafening thunderclaps piercing the sky.
Amidst rising smoke and dust, wails and sorrow filled the air. The ancient academy, like a burning rose, stood like a dazzling torch in the border town submerged by the Disaster Tide, attracting both the living and the Calamity Beasts to continue their journey.
The once-protected academy, the white jade statue symbolizing the goddess of the elements, has long been shattered. All the gods who signed agreements with the Divine Sentient Body and bestowed divine Divine Power and blessings upon the empire seem to have fallen into a deep sleep, unresponsive.
The Black Tide brought with it a calamity that eroded souls and flesh, polluting a large amount of Magic Element and imbuing it with the poison of the Disaster God authority, reaping countless lives.
Even the most skilled mages and swordsmen are like those suffering from tuberculosis, coughing incessantly and entering the countdown to their lives, forced to struggle against a calamity from which there is no hope.
The most critical issue is that, with the Magic Element being contaminated, most of the spells that rely on environmental Magic Element have become useless. Even when the teachers and graduating seniors fight together with their staffs, they can only suffer repeated defeats.
In the midst of the Disaster Tide, the one who took the lead, acting as a barrier to protect the students, was the kind and gentle dean of the academy.
"Children, do not use any spells to interact with the outside world, and you are not allowed to stay and fight. Heed my command, all of you enter the first spire one by one and take the teleportation array to leave!"
The old man removed his gold-rimmed glasses and took off his intellectual robes. In a daze, time seemed to reverse, and his withered flesh and blood filled out. His strong muscles supported his spine, and his body expanded layer by layer like an immortal iron tower, reaching a height of tens of meters, just like a Titan.
"All mentors who can still fight, follow me and pave the way for the future of this border city! I, Zane Ahadfeil, stake the name of Ahadfeil, the honor of my oath to the Emperor, and swear to never retreat!"
Zain looked down at the Disaster Tide, his body wreathed in crimson lightning. Torn fabrics danced like cotton wool, melting in the intense heat. His kind face was now tinged with sorrow for the lives lost and rage at the burning earth.
At this moment, the five basic elements formed a roaring vortex around him. He used his towering body as a barrier to forcibly create a new battlefield. Wielding a hurricane battle axe that expanded in size, he swept across all directions, trampling the disaster hordes!
Ahadfeil, one of the Three Covenant Families.
Unlike dragon-taming families like Fies and alchemy families like Tiffany, Ahadfeil is a warrior family that practices both magic and martial arts. They advocate forging their bodies with Magic Element, studying martial arts techniques, and are known for their individual bravery.
This old man, who founded the Ninth National Magic Academy, was undoubtedly one of the best among them. His roar shook the earth, his anger scorched the Disaster Tide, and his bravery was like a burning torch. His imposing figure was imprinted in the eyes of everyone present, dispelling fear and igniting fighting spirit!
The lightning that pierced the dome transformed into a sea of light illuminating the gloom, forcefully purifying the Magic Element within a hundred miles. In the form of a domain, it domineeringly created an environment that resisted the erosion of the Disaster Tide and allowed magicians to perform normally.
In an instant, the other teachers, who were also first-level mages, broke free from the constraints of the environment. Some unleashed war magic that covered the heavens and the earth, while others used magic to extend golden chains infinitely to restrain the Disaster Tide and save the students.
These spells, imbued with the heart and soul, carried an indomitable will to die. Like a magnificent, colorful firework, they choked back the surging black tide, giving the fleeing civilians and the students who represented hope a chance to escape.
"Haina" had already realized what was happening. She grabbed the person next to her and tried her best to keep up with the group, running towards the location of the teleportation array in her memory.
"Hey! What happened to the training camp?! Did we just end up on the battlefield?!"
Lin Bao'er was dizzy and disoriented. She hadn't fully processed the setting given to her by the Historical Echo. After subconsciously running with Liang Xiaoxiao, she finally came to her senses and realized the terrifying situation.
Liang Xiaoxiao was also confused, but right now, preserving her life was obviously the most important thing. Her gray hair danced in the wind, and her pupils swirled in reverse. With each change of her breath, the Blood Throat Gene began to revive, activating combat mode.
The girl's reflexes were heightened, her senses continued to evolve and accumulate, and her perception of time began to slow down. Beneath her robes, her curvaceous body was bound together by interlocking gray-white scales, forming armor stained with blood-red patterns.
Then, she turned to look at Lin Bao'er, who was dressed in a mage's robe, looked exceptionally quiet and scholarly, and seemed slow to run. Without saying a word, she grabbed Lin Bao'er's thigh and unleashed a burst of power no less than that of a magic swordsman, rushing towards the first spire.
Lin Bao'er fearfully clung to Liang Xiaoxiao's neck, feeling as if she were riding a speeding motorcycle, constantly breaking through wind resistance, her hair dancing wildly, and then suddenly feeling dejected.
Why does she have to rely on Xiaoxiao right after entering the training camp? She clearly wanted to use this opportunity to become strong enough to protect the other person!
No, we can't give up so soon.
The little girl cheered herself up. She remembered that Miss Astrid had said that she was willing to let those of them who had not yet become Magical Girl and were positioned as [Fuel] and [Calamity Shell] participate in the training camp because the environment in the Ideal Country was very good.
Unlike in the real world, only by holding the obsidian stone, resonating with the other person, transforming one 'Life Form, and accumulating the brilliance of the stage can one light the lantern and wield the power of magic.
The air in the ideal land contains a large amount of Magic Element, which is a special energy that provides the means to cast spells. Here, ordinary people can learn a little magic through extensive study.
In other words, the contestants positioned as "fuel" or "Calamity Shell" are all absolute super geniuses after entering the Ideal Country, and each of them can meet the admission requirements of the Saint Roland Academy —in terms of talent alone.
Therefore, since her current identity is a student at a magic academy, she must have magical power in her body that can be used to cast spells, and thus be able to use magic!
Lin Bao'er calmed down and began to digest the memories of the Historical Echo, digging out relevant common knowledge. She was quick to understand and immediately tried to chant.
But the wind was so strong ahead that she couldn't speak.
The little girl simply abandoned the introductory chanting and instead, without much practice, manipulated magic to weave spells.
Three seconds later, accompanied by the crisp sound of bells, the simple spell structure was completed. A tranquil, emerald-green wind enveloped the two of them, miraculously dispelling the wind in front of them and creating a windless zone.
"Well done, baby."
"Keep this spell active, I need to speed it up."
After the girl finished praising her, her internal flesh writhed with her breath, and her bones, like a finely crafted machine, began to adjust temporarily, as if imitating the Blood Throat that could break the sound barrier, squeezing out an even higher energy efficiency ratio.
At the same time, the scales underfoot intertwined, creating a brand new shell that elevated the body, like a spring mechanism. The shell resembled cyberpunk stilts, and because it indirectly increased the waist-to-body ratio, it wasn't ferocious but rather somewhat dashing.
Liang Xiaoxiao resumed normal breathing. She was strictly adhering to the habits her teacher required her to maintain, intending to memorize the techniques in this way, gradually integrating them into her bones, imprinting them into her soul, pressing them into her genes, and forging them into her instincts.
By accumulating perfection step by step, one can step into a new realm of combat. After that, forgetting to breathe and reaching a state of perfect harmony, one can forge one's own path of chivalry.
At that moment, Lin Bao'er's Tranquil Wind dispelled some of her concerns. The energy of disaster flowed into her lower limbs, making her body as light as a bird. With each step, she moved like a superhero traversing the city, covering a thousand meters in just a few leaps, rapidly moving away from the battlefield.
Before the little girl could even feel excited Proud, she nervously clung to Liang Xiaoxiao, feeling as if the thrill had suddenly transformed from riding a motorcycle to sitting on a drop tower.
Even so, in terms of running speed, they were only in the third tier. Ahead of them were many mages who had entered elementalization, soared through the sky, and broken the sound barrier, as well as noble children who directly piloted alchemical airships, leading an entire class.
Most importantly, the academy head only intercepted the main force of the Black Tide, keeping the main battlefield there. On the way to the First Spire, there were still many roaming Calamity Beasts, which divided the battlefield into scattered fragments, creating an extremely chaotic scene.
Liang Xiaoxiao was on edge. She had fought against the Calamity Beasts, but she was far from being able to stand on her own, let alone face such a cruel and terrifying battlefield that was like a meat grinder.
The majority of the components of this Disaster Tide were E-Class Calamity Beasts, but there were also D-Class and several C-Class that were stopped by the academy headmaster.
From my hazy memories, only a Special Grade Mage can fight against multiple C-Class mages. Elites like First Grade Mages can maneuver through the tides of D-Class Calamity Beasts, but they also face a great risk of death.
As for E-Class? The upper limit is comparable to a mage who has passed the official assessment and obtained a Rank 3 certificate, while the lower limit requires a mid-level Rank 4 or 5.
This is an extremely alarming comparison. Could the entire empire possibly muster millions of third-level mages? Even if it could, the Disaster Tide that inundated the border cities alone amounted to millions, making it a drop in the ocean.
Liang Xiaoxiao was speechless with shock. She had already overestimated the horror of the calamity, but she never imagined that the scene of the calamity's actual outbreak would be so exaggerated.
If many other places on the Fanor Continent were to suffer from the Disaster Tide at this moment, it would truly shake the very foundation of the empire, necessitating an immediate council meeting to activate the terrifying apocalypse of the Divine Sentient Body!
The girl already knew of the empire's prosperity, understood that gods existed outside the world, and knew that this civilization had many trump cards to deal with such disasters.
But she found it hard to imagine how the Magic Countermeasures Bureau would handle a similar crisis in the real world—with less than 100,000 Magical Girl?
And perhaps, this is the true meaning of this training camp.
The Countermeasures Bureau wants to expose the bloody truth, using the truly tragic history and the immense horror of a civilization's demise to tell them this cruel yet objective fact.
If you want to maintain your current life, continue to stand on the stage in the spotlight as an idol, and protect this hard-won dream, then you must become more hardworking, more diligent, and stronger.
But... isn't this a bit too much for other girls who haven't yet faced Calamity Beasts or confronted the fear of death?
Liang Xiaoxiao was a little confused, so she took Bao'er as an example. She wasn't Magical Girl yet, and she couldn't react quickly enough to receive the memories. If it weren't for her, she might have been so confused that she would have been stuck in place and given up.
This is not a trial at all; it's just torture.
But soon, as if smelling a tempting bait, the Calamity Beasts that had been chasing after Lin Bao'er made her forget all her other thoughts.
The girl calmed herself, manipulating her mutated flesh and blood, which, covered in grayish-white scales, was forged into a three-meter-long giant blade. She swung it horizontally, then poured the calamity energy into the "stilts," accelerating them once more, as if transforming into a blood-red shadow, continuing her escape...
Meanwhile, various regions of the Fanor Continent were experiencing the Black Tide. By coercing the gods and forcibly passing through the protection of the Golden Sea, the Disaster God had seemingly accelerated the apocalypse to the fastest possible speed.
In fact, if the World Consciousness of the Golden Sea hadn't been so resilient, the Fanor Continent would have suffered the same fate as Earth in the first playthrough, being destroyed by the thirteen Disaster God that descended on the same day, resulting in tectonic plate collapse, civilization regression, and countless deaths.
The current Disaster Tide may seem terrifying and irrational, but for those who have experienced the first time around, it's not exactly child's play, but it's certainly within an acceptable range.
Currently, dozens of unfortunate Little Idol within the empire are facing this Disaster Tide, including Chen Yining and Ji Shuzhu.
However, it must be said that Magical Girl are indeed blessed with unique advantages. As soon as they are "Lighting Up," they can fly freely through their Magic Armor. Their enhanced physique is enough to shatter buildings. With their Destined Magic and a series of spells, they are fully capable of dealing with E-Class Calamity Beasts.
According to the Imperial Magic Guild's calculations, this level of Combat Power is no longer considered a low-level mage like an eighth or ninth-grade mage, but rather a second-rate (third, fourth, or fifth-grade) mage who can be considered a mainstay.
Therefore, there have been no casualties reported among this group of athletes.
However, as the war intensifies, sooner or later some contestants will die, forcibly withdraw from the ideal country, and waste this precious learning opportunity.
On the other hand, according to information from a certain Archbishop, the cultists are already armed with specially made calamities and even seeds of demonic possession, preparing to crush Magical Girl and destroy the hopes of the new generation in this disgusting way.
Most importantly,
Chu Yuanqing could no longer rely on the Tiffany Family's influence to bring back those innocent and pitiful Little Idol who couldn't do any magic at all, according to the list given by Astrid.
Because both Russell's memories and the Human Transmutation array on Iris's body indicate that the Tiffany Family can no longer be trusted, sending out this protection list will immediately turn it into a kill list.
Theoretically, the situation isn't that bad yet.
Because their side can also rely on Charlotte, who has been given the title of the Blade of the Empire and Judgement Envoy, the Freyabite Family she leads, and the power of the Judgement Department, which is very clean and pure, and is fully capable of carrying out secret operations.
The problem is that this cleanliness and purity are the result of a combination of rigid and inflexible rules that even the person in question cannot change, as well as Emperor decrees and family codes ingrained deep in their soul.
Therefore, directly and openly dispatching a large number of judges, or other secret troops, to carry out missions completely unrelated to imperial law and honor can be described as abusing power for personal gain.
However, if one abuses their power for personal gain, the golden blood bestowed by the Emperor will be transferred, and the invincible buff that the judge is responsible for protecting will not only disappear, but they will also have to bear the punishment for breach of contract, and they may even lose their lives.
Charlotte's only option at this moment is to immediately lead her troops to the disaster area with the most Little Idol, make reasonable use of the power of the Judgement Envoy, and quickly wipe out the Black Tide, thus acting out of personal favor in a subtle way.
Even this kind of operation cannot be made too obvious.
Assuming there are tens of thousands of survivors in the border town, but only a few dozen left on the more distant border, and even fewer in the Black Tide, then she would undoubtedly have no choice but to go to the border town to provide disaster relief.
These rigid rules, ingrained in the very core of the empire, are the cornerstone that has sustained the empire for millennia, but also its greatest obstacle today.
Thus, the Doomsday Diva finally experienced the stifling feeling of being unfree.
Charlotte could only puff out her cheeks and, along with her lovely daughter and a group of judges, head to the most severely affected area of the Black Tide, facing countless Calamity Beasts and wielding the power of the judges to vent her anger at not being able to go to the capital to play with Qing Bao.
Meanwhile, Kiriwake Yayoi and a group of Little Idol who regarded her as their senior, escorted by the Heavenly Puppet, barely reached the border of the Empire.
Due to the information conveyed by the Pure White Witch, Little Sakura changed her plan to go directly to the capital, Saint Roland, and instead led the main force to detour to other Disaster Tide areas, intending to capture more Little Idol to bring back to the capital.
Meanwhile, a newly Grand Duke riding Liuli Holy Light Dragon, brave and decisive, also became friends with the Pure White Witch Aisha. After learning the whole story, he felt obligated to take on the role of a troubleshooter, relying on his legendary dragon.
Of course, as a member of the Imperial Council, Liuli Cat Cat, who holds the Oath Ring, cannot stay away for too long and needs to arrive in Saint Roland as soon as possible.
Therefore, she needs to plan the nearest rescue route to gain Aurora Faith's approval.
At this moment, compared to the leisurely life of her other teammates, the Golden Mane Princess, who was still in the border city of Reza, was experiencing a life of bloodshed and turmoil.
The City Lord's Mansion, as the power center of this sinful city, encompasses the greatest wealth and can be considered the residence of the border king.
Unfortunately, this place is now an endless expanse of ruins. The traces of the war magic have left a terrifying magical energy reaction all around, and the corpses scattered everywhere are being charred in the ever-growing sea of fire.
Xie Qingxuan sat atop the giant, Nightmare Wolf named Dril. She blinked her innocent eyes, looking at the pink bird tilting its head towards her in her palm. She rubbed its slightly ruffled downy feathers, sniffed it with her delicate nose like a puppy, and said earnestly:
"You smell like Xiao Qing. Have you seen her? She's very cute."
Volume 1: Chapter 340. Charlotte: I do not approve of this marriage! (5K)
The pink bird puffed out its chest proudly, chirped for a while, and then darted its eyes around, as if acknowledging the Golden Haired Doggy's praise of its owner.