Survival, Death

For the students of the academy, Ringwraith City and the Magic Empire are places that leave a deep impression on them.

It wasn't just the magnificent city floating in the air, nor the towering spires that pierced the clouds—though initially, these superficial sights were enough to shock and excite the apprentices who had never encountered such an advanced magical system. After all, before this, they were merely assistants or apprentices to mages, some even completely ignorant of magic. But upon arriving, the Magic Empire's system completely overturned their previous knowledge, both learned and unlearned. Compared to the results derived from rudimentary deductions, the Magic Empire's comprehensive teaching system ensured they could find their own, suitable spells in the shortest time and in the fastest way. On the continent today, many mages need years to determine their path and start from scratch, which is why mages are so rare. Under the constant high-pressure surveillance of the Temple and the Five-Nation Alliance, mages have little access to magical knowledge; most of the time, they can only rely on their experience and intuition to explore. And such actions are extremely dangerous.

For these students, their deepest aspiration was to become Arcane Mage. After all, the legends of Arcane Mage were almost universally known throughout the continent. And for these young people, being hybrids and not so welcomed by the human world, their unique rebellious spirit only fueled their anticipation and adoration for this "Demon King." However, Li Lin clearly had no time to appear before them. Since the academy began operating, Li Lin, the honorary dean, had been like a transparent figure; almost no student knew what kind of person their dean truly was.

However, Nia and Angela soon taught them a lesson.

Nia was alright, after all, she was gentle in nature, and even when she came to the academy, she mostly cared about the difficulties and problems the students encountered. In addition, her outstanding beauty made almost all the students admire her. It can be said that Nia was the most prestigious person in the academy.

However, Angela was the complete opposite. She appeared at the academy simply for fun, and her arrogant and haughty attitude quickly aroused the dissatisfaction of many students. She could even call them "half-blooded bastards" in front of them without a second thought, and anyone who objected would be immediately beaten beyond repair and trampled underfoot, becoming a pitiful victim. Most teachers turned a blind eye to Angela's actions. Aside from the fact that Angela was Li Lin 'Angela familiar, her formidable strength ensured that no one could gain any advantage against her. Fortunately, Angela was at least somewhat restrained; at least since the start of the semester, no student had died because of her.

Now, the students have learned that upon seeing those signature blood-red eyes and petite figure again, they should immediately run away instead of rushing towards them to their deaths. So, when they saw the poor little elf actually walking towards the other person on her own, they all felt a deep and sincere sympathy for her fate.

The slender elf walked slowly down the wide corridor, one hand touching the wall as she relied on her memory to move forward. Aila's feelings about her current fate were incredibly complex. She had originally been offered as dinner to Angela by the elves, only to be thrown into the icy sea by Angela. She thought her life would end there, but when she awoke from her coma, she found herself receiving meticulous care. After confirming that Aila had fully recovered, she was sent to the magic academy to study.

For an elf who is blind and unable to speak, learning magic is no easy task. Although the elf's innate keen magical senses allowed little Aila to barely grasp some basics, the more complex parts were completely beyond her grasp. She couldn't see the teacher's intricate hand gestures, nor could she ask questions, which made her progress extremely slow. This was also the reason why the elf was always in a bad mood. She tried very hard to learn, attempting to rediscover the meaning of her existence, but all she found was endless despair.

Was dying in that cold sea a more suitable fate for him?

Just then, Aila suddenly felt herself bump into a soft, petite body. She instinctively took two steps back, then immediately lowered her head to apologize. At that moment, a voice that made the little elf's blood freeze rang out.

"You really don't watch where you're going. It seems being blind is your natural punishment."

"...!!!"

Aila would never forget that voice. Her body immediately stiffened, and she stood frozen in place, unsure of what to say—moreover, she couldn't say anything at all.

Looking at the trembling little elf in front of her, Angela walked up to her with amusement, stared intently at her face, and then grasped her hand.

Feeling that cold, soft touch, the little elf trembled even more violently.

Why are you still trembling? Didn't you already make your decision?

Angela released the elf's hand again, a mocking smile on her face as she looked at the petite elf girl before her.

"Strive to live on, for if you cannot bear it and seek death, I will throw your corpse to feed the dogs... Just remember that."

After speaking, Angela shifted her gaze back to the back of the elf—there, several smiling students, upon noticing Angela's gaze, immediately turned away in alarm, pretending nothing had happened.

"You foolish bastard, with your low IQ, you actually dared to take advantage of me? You're tired of living."

Angela chuckled softly.

"Mina, Fina."

"Yes, my master."

As two voices rang out, the two sisters, dressed in their school uniforms, emerged from the darkness. They were currently in charge of the entire school's security and naturally understood why Angela was calling them.

"Go teach those good-for-nothings a little lesson, let them know how stupid and ridiculous their behavior is."

Without any response, the two sisters vanished back into the darkness. They then reappeared in front of the group of students in the distance. The students, noticing their presence, turned pale and tried to defend themselves, but unfortunately, fairness, impartiality, and justice were never things that Vampire Species sought to uphold.

Soon, the group of students were taken away. Angela gave another cold laugh, looking at the little elf who seemed unsure of what to do.

"You may leave now. Remember my words: if you want to survive, strength is essential. As for how to obtain strength, you can figure that out yourself."

Hearing Angela's words, the little elf was stunned for a moment, then turned around and left, leaning against the wall again. Angela silently watched the small, thin figure in front of her, a rare hint of sadness and sigh appearing in her eyes.

"Miss Angela, why did you do this?"

Meanwhile, Fina, having completed her mission, returned to Angela's side. She looked at the little sprite curiously and asked a question. In Fina's memory, Angela shouldn't possibly have any feelings for such a weak sprite. But her current actions were clearly very different from what Fina knew about her.

"This is also my game."

Angela answered Fina's question in a low, smiling voice.

"I was once just like her, helpless and weak, but I still managed to survive. The will to live is the most important thing. I just wanted to see what this person would eventually become. She was flawed, a useless piece of trash. Such a person would only waste resources living in this world, but she still decided to live. I like this idea. She rejected all benevolent death. Faced with a life full of dangers, what will she do?"

At this point, Angela's lips curled up slightly, revealing a hint of anticipation.

"I've played this game many times before. Like her, there are so many people in the world who selfishly choose to live rather than die. However, most of them lack strong beliefs and willpower, and in the end, they either go mad or die. I hope this guy can bring me some fresh fun... otherwise, it'll be meaningless."

Just then, the magical light that had been enveloping the entire Ringwraith City suddenly shone even brighter. Li Lin's telepathic signal appeared in Angela's mind like a thunderclap. She immediately opened her eyes wide, revealing a greedy and joyful expression. Her blood-red eyes also became even brighter and more excited.

"Miss Angela, what is this...?"

As a member of Angela's kin, Fina naturally sensed that powerful spiritual force. However, she couldn't understand what it meant.

"The war has begun... Blood and death, this is exactly what I desire!!"

With a haughty laugh, Angela transformed into a streak of red light and charged into the towering mage tower.

When she arrived in the hall, the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys had already gathered.

Upon seeing Angela's appearance, Li Lin smiled slightly, then stared solemnly at the six people before him.

"I think you all know very well why you were summoned here."

"Of course, Your Excellency."

Kalin remained as relaxed and carefree as ever.

"It's war, isn't it? Let's go all out and wipe out these bastards completely."

"The Ringwraith City is operating normally and can enter a state of combat readiness at any time."

Suoxiate had naturally already done the work of gathering intelligence.

"The Five-Nation Alliance... the enemy... must be eliminated..."

Anna continued to cough softly, but she made a statement that could not be ignored.

"Father's order... kill them all..."

"Hmph, they're nothing but lowly people who don't even know what magic is."

Yi Aier swayed her golden twin ponytails and proudly puffed out her chest.

"Watch me blast them to ashes!"

"Lady Nisi is currently asleep, and not all Seven Ring Spirit Envoys have yet gathered. Are you really planning to begin right now, Li Lin?"

Nia was the only one who raised questions, which is quite normal given her qualifications and status.

"Of course, this is our best chance. The war has only just begun. This is not a war of annihilation, but a war of attrition. We have plenty of opportunities and time to find the remaining Seven Ring Spirit Envoys. Right now, everything is under our control."

As he spoke, Li Lin extended his right hand, and accompanied by the light of magical runes, the newly engraved magic circle in the center of the hall began to appear. Soon, under the effect of the magical light, a huge three-dimensional illusion appeared in front of everyone.

"This really looks like science fiction, Master."

Slightly surprised, Angela gazed at the enormous illusionary map before her and spoke curiously. She had only ever seen such things in human science fiction movies before; she never expected to see a real object here. Even as Vampire Species, she had never learned such strange magic.

"The Jewelry of the Virgin Goddess has all arrived at the designated location and been activated; this is now the territory of our Magic Empire."

Li Lin gazed at the land before him, his expression slightly somber. Soon, a portion of it separated from the other maps and was magnified. Under the effect of the detection magic, numerous red dots appeared within it.

"As you all know, this is our target this time: Casablanca City."

"Going this deep inside from the very beginning?"

Angela frowned slightly. She might not be a military leader, but her millennia of experience were not just for show.

"Master, I've always wanted to ask you, why did you choose this place? I thought you would gradually increase the pressure from the border, putting psychological pressure on those lowly reptiles."

"That was an ordinary war, but now, we are waging a war of revenge. Casablanca betrayed our Magic Empire a thousand years ago, opening its gates and allowing the Five-Nation Alliance to easily invade our territory. One of our Arcane Mage died while trying to stop this army's invasion... He was the first Arcane Mage to die, and therefore, I will begin our war of revenge from here."

"The free city of Casablanca is currently located within the Xialuo Empire, and is nominally an autonomous territory."

Nia seized the opportunity to quickly introduce the situation to everyone, since apart from her, the others didn't really understand the current situation on the mainland.

"With a population of around 300,000, Casablanca is a city renowned for its trade. The main access routes to the city are the drawbridges on the southeast sides. By sealing off these two entrances, the entire city can be completely sealed off. Moreover, Casablanca's walls are exceptionally high to defend against external enemies, so we don't need to worry about anyone escaping in the chaos."

"This time, the entire Ringwraith City will not be mobilized."

Li Lin continued.

"Angela, Anna, you two will use the Garden of Silence to travel to Casablanca and launch an attack. The Jewel of the Goddess satellite system will assist you in your offensive. It's time for me to see the power of the Scourge Legion."

As he spoke, he glanced intentionally at Angela.

"I think you've been waiting impatiently, so let's have a little fun first."

"Of course, Master, please rest assured and entrust it to me."

Angela a half step forward, slightly lifted the hem of her skirt, and responded with a light laugh.

"I will crush those lowly worms into dust and use their corpses as a grand feast to welcome you, my master."

"Save not a single one, whether they are old, young, men, or women. They are all maggots who feed on the corpses of the Magic Empire's citizens. Now is the time to demand they pay the price they deserve. Kill them all, leave no one alive. Let the flames of Hell and revenge burn there, let corpses and bones be the dominant theme!"

As Li Lin spoke, he became increasingly agitated.

"Our Magic Empire will be reborn, rising from the ashes. Those who invaded our nation must pay the price; their souls will forever burn, weep, and perish in the fires of Hell... This is our war, a war of revenge that cannot be lost. We will tear down all obstacles that try to stop us, kill all enemies who try to resist us, and destroy all targets that attempt to attack us. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth! Those who offend us will be punished tenfold. We will use methods ten times more cruel than theirs to make them understand our wrath once again! The Five-Nation Alliance will begin its destruction at this moment. All people must use their lives to atone for the folly of their ancestors! There is no forgiveness, only judgment and verdict!"

"Then let there be war, my lord! I will let their corpses burn forever in flames, their cries will forever echo in your ears. Those weaklings do not deserve what they have now; all they can do is tremble before your power and despair as they march towards their demise!"

"I have waited a thousand years for this moment, Li Lin. For a thousand years, the cries of the empire's people have echoed in my ears. They sacrificed their lives for a meaningless war. Now is the time for us to avenge them."

Hearing Angela and Nia's answers, Li Lin nodded in satisfaction. Then, he stood up, looked at the crowd in front of him, and revealed a cold smile.

"There is only one order: those who block my way shall die; any enemy seen shall be killed!"

"... Then, gentlemen, let the war begin."