Northern Continent University.
One-armed Gaia stood beneath the Leaning Tower Library, silently gazing up at the building blanketed in ice and snow. Behind him, "War Behemoth" Maxim wore a grim expression.
Northern Continent University was no longer ravaged by violent snowstorms. Everything lay draped in silver.
"Lord Gaia, do we really have no choice but to submit to Eastern-Western University?" Maxim asked hoarsely.
"This is our only choice. Perhaps it is also the best outcome." Gaia said, "Pull yourself together, Maxim. Perhaps we will be fortunate enough to witness the arrival of a new era."
"Fine, since you have made up your mind. I am sorry about what happened to Katyusha."
Gaia said, "You need not concern yourself with it. This was her fate. Go back. I am about to begin the fusion."
"Yes."
Yet at that moment, the sky above Northern Continent University abruptly changed. Billowing dark-red clouds appeared from nowhere, shrouding the entire university beneath them.
"This..." The sudden change left him horrified. Northern Continent University had never experienced anything like this.
Gaia's thick brows furrowed as well. An overwhelmingly bad feeling rose within him, as though something terrifying was about to happen.
"HAHAHA!!"
Wild, unrestrained laughter, thick with madness, rang out. Then the dark-red clouds covering the university's sky began to churn, instantly forming an enormous human face. It was unmistakably Long Aotian!
"I'm back, la la la la!" Cloud-Face Long Aotian laughed maniacally. "Dear, did you miss me? Whoa, you've become so tiny now—just like ants. Ahahaha!!"
"Lord Gaia!" The horror on Maxim's face had turned into terror.
The reason for his fear was simple: Long Aotian had actually breached the university's sky barrier, invading Northern Continent University in the simplest and most brutal way possible!
Gaia looked up at Long Aotian's Cloud-Face, then lowered his