Forty days had passed since Cheng Yu took control of Monster Forest. As fleeing magical beasts scattered, word spread that the forest had changed hands. Aside from the powers in the north, the first to receive the news was the Kurland United Kingdom, the closest to the northern frontier among humanity's four great powers.
Kurland United Kingdom Royal Academy
A middle-aged man in a green robe embroidered with black metallic thread spoke.
"Students, the first rule of practical combat is to assess your opponent's strength accurately. Now, tell me: if a squad of you summoners entered Monster Forest as it is today, what kind of summoned beasts should you choose?"
"All right, Lisa. Go ahead."
The girl named Lisa rose and said,
"Instructor James, I believe we should choose summoned beasts with strong mobility and reconnaissance abilities. After all, according to the information we have, even the Beast Lord fell to those strange magical beasts. We must remain cautious and vigilant, with our own survival as our first priority."
James nodded and said,
"Lisa makes a good point. Does anyone have anything to add?"
A young man stood up. He wore the same kind of clothing as James.
James nodded.
"All right, Ryan. Let's hear your thoughts."
The young man placed a hand over his chest, then continued,
"Instructor James, my opinion is much the same as Lisa's: choose magical beasts with comparable mobility and reconnaissance abilities. But I differ from her on one point. Since our survival is our first priority, couldn't we stay outside Monster Forest and send our summoned beasts in instead? We could gather information through our contracts. Wouldn't that be safer?"
The students suddenly understood. They had fallen into a mental trap. That's right. Why do we have to enter Monster Forest? Can't we just send in our summoned beasts? After all, their lives aren't worth nearly as much as ours.
James nodded approvingly. "Good. Ryan makes a very good point. Remember, students: our lives as summoners come first. The lives of our summoned beasts are not part of the equation."
Although some students disagreed with their instructor, they felt unable to show it and chose to remain silent.
Seeing this, James smiled.
"Then let the practical combat lesson begin. You're free to proceed as you see fit."
The students dispersed to find opponents. Only the young man named Ryan came over to James and watched his classmates summon creatures to fight. No one approached him for a match, and it was not because his name was Ryan Blackforest.
It was because he had never lost since enrolling. Ryan spoke quietly.
"Uncle, is the news about Monster Forest true?"
James looked slightly surprised, then nodded.
"Of course. As a member of the royal family, it's only natural that you'd know. Monster Forest has been seized by someone named Yuri Constantine, who calls himself an apostle of the God of Primordial Darkness and the Judge of Destiny. The Beast Lord was killed by some strange-looking magical beasts under his command."
Ryan lowered his head in thought. "Constantine? Could those lunatics in the Jebel Theocracy have sent him?"
James shook his head. "Probably not. They wouldn't send someone with legendary combat strength-three-star bronze-to the north. Besides, the conflict between the theocracy and the empire is growing more intense. A legendary fighter is a pillar of their forces, no matter how you look at it. They couldn't possibly send one to a place like the northern frontier. It's probably just a coincidence."
Ryan nodded, then said, "True. Even if he is legendary, it hardly matters. After all, my uncle, the Undying Prince, is guarding Twilight Fortress."
James nodded as well, sharing in that pride.
And just like that, they put the matter in the north out of their minds.
The imperial palace of the Karen Empire
Karen VI Gold, the reigning emperor of the Karen Empire, was a burly, handsome middle-aged man with a weathered face, clad in magnificent heavy golden armor. He frowned deeply as he read the intelligence report his intelligence chief had handed him.
His keen instincts told him that ignoring this new power rising in the northern frontier would lead to serious trouble. Yet with the Kurland Kingdom's Twilight Fortress standing guard, he could not understand where anything might go wrong.
Just then, a handsome young man wearing ornate light armor entered. Seeing Karen VI's furrowed brow, he asked,
"What's wrong, Father?"
Karen VI smiled at the young man before him. "Nothing, Help. Perhaps I'm simply getting old, but something about this report feels wrong."
Help Gold, crown prince of the Karen Empire, was hailed as the empire's rising hope, the darling beloved by all things, and a rising star among summoners. Countless honors rested on his shoulders for one simple reason: he was the only summoner to have become a demigod-one-star silver-at just twenty years old.
Even the very first summoner, the man all summoners revered as the God of Summoning, had not achieved so much at twenty.
Help took the report. Like his father, he sensed something wrong. At the same time, a wave of discomfort washed over him-his summoned creatures were warning him. Questions rose in his mind, and he looked up at his father and said,
"Father, I feel something is wrong too, but I can't put it into words. Once the matter with the theocracy is over, I'll personally lead a team to the northern frontier."
Karen VI frowned, then relaxed his brow. "Very well. For now, I'll leave the theocracy to you."
Help nodded, then left the imperial palace.
Xipu Federation
Frank Duendo, holder of the United Council's seventh seat, stroked his long white beard as he read the intelligence report. He handed it to the attendant beside him and said,
"Put this report on the chief councilor's desk."
The attendant nodded. "As you command, Lord Duendo."
After the attendant left, Frank muttered to himself,
"Perhaps it's just summoners fighting like dogs among themselves. What does it have to do with us? Hopefully, the chief councilor thinks the same."
Jebel Theocracy
Inside the Abyssal Cult's main cathedral, Lanchi Lubel studied the report before him and mused,
"The God of Primordial Darkness? Is there such a lord in the Abyss? And Constantine? Why would the surname of an abyssal noble appear in the northern frontier?"
An impostor? No, impossible. No one would be mad enough to assume an Abyss noble's surname. Could an Abyss noble truly have arrived? Lanchi Lubel wondered.
Just then, a knight clad in pitch-black armor said to Lanchi,
"Your Excellency, Archbishop, Father Luthers has returned."
Lanchi said, "Let him in."
A sinister-looking young man in a dark red priest's robe entered. He approached Lanchi, placed a hand over his chest, and said,
"May the Abyss watch over you, Lord Lanchi."
Lanchi nodded and smiled.
"And may the Abyss watch over you, Luthers."
Luthers Mephitican was one of the designated successors chosen by the Jebel Theocracy's head of state, the current pope of the Abyssal Cult. He could also be called the strongest contender.
The reason was simple: this young man had won the favor of Mephitican, the succubus lord who ruled the Abyss's 666th layer. Mephitican had even bestowed her own name upon him as his surname.
Only the legendary second pope, Carlsen Rusfado, had ever received such an honor. He had earned the appreciation of Rusfado, ruler of the Abyss's 895th layer, and received that surname. Rumor had it that His Holiness Carlsen eventually went to the 895th layer of the Abyss and became a true Demon Warlord.
Lanchi was quite willing to cultivate a good relationship with this future star. He said kindly,
"Get some rest first. In a little while, I'll need you to investigate something in the northern frontier."
Luthers nodded.
"As you command, Lord Lanchi."
After Luthers returned to his quarters, two dark red magic circles appeared before him. Accompanied by seductive laughter, two succubi emerged in front of him. With a wicked grin, Luthers pounced on them.
Lanchi sensed what was happening too. He shook his head and left him alone.
The Orc Empire in the west and the Elven Homeland in the south also received the news, but neither reacted. After all, it had nothing to do with them.
The Naga Empire in the east, however, was another matter. Its representative on land was the naga's eldest prince, Phil Raging Waves, the firstborn son of the Merfolk King and the naga queen.
He was frowning. The northern frontier had, in fact, long been secretly controlled by the naga. Now one of its powers had vanished and another had taken its place, which struck him as deeply suspicious. Since he happened to be making a trip back to the Deep Sea Empire, he would visit Monster Forest's new overlord along the way.
And so he gave an order.
"Assemble an army for me. I'm going to the northern frontier. Let's see just what sort of character this new master of Monster Forest is!"
A little earlier
Morning in Monster Forest
"Hey, hey, hey! Stop sleeping." (￣ε(#￣)☆╰╮o(￣皿￣///)
Lying in bed, Cheng Yu rubbed his eyes and asked, What is it?
"Nothing. I just thought it was time you got up." (oﾟωﾟo)
You've got to be fucking kidding me! (╬￣皿￣)
That's it. I'm going to ask the boss to replace you! (╬￣皿￣)
With that, Cheng Yu started getting out of bed.
The system hastily said,
"All right, all right, I have something serious to discuss." ╮(๑•́ ₃•̀๑)╭
Spit it out! (╬￣皿￣)
"Oh, come on. Don't be so grumpy just because you woke up." ╮(￣▽￣)╭
Are you going to tell me or not?! (╬￣皿￣)
"All right. Our steel output is about to hit rock bottom." ┐(─__─)┌
What?! (ﾟ⊿ﾟ)ﾂ
Inside Steel Main City
Yog sat on a sofa, murmuring to himself,
"It's also called the Abyss, and it operates the same way. Even the names of the lords ruling each layer match. Is it a coincidence... or..."
Then Yog closed his eyes, seemingly exchanging information with his true body, which was everywhere and yet nowhere.
Before you continue