The fate of the entire kingdom now rested on the desperate decisive battle at Threehill City.
In such a situation, western strongholds like Goldvalley City that had barely held on had lost all strategic value. With the withdrawal order issued, the soldiers stationed there could finally abandon this blood-soaked land and retreat toward the safer heartlands.
The support work assigned to Vera’s squad was also nearing its end. After completing one last rescue mission for survivors, they would leave with the main force.
“Vera,” Filing asked softly as they marched, “if… if I were ever captured by the demons, what would you do?”
Vera glanced back at her, understanding that after spending so much time with Lucia lately and hearing the girl’s story, Filing had begun to empathize.
“I would come save you,” Vera answered without hesitation.
“Even if it meant betraying humanity?”
“No.” Vera patted the longsword at her waist. “I would come save you with my sword.”
“You’d be walking to your death alone!”
“In these chaotic times, dying together wouldn’t be so bad.”
Vera’s smile seemed to dazzle. Filing blushed and looked away.
Fiyin leaned closer and whispered, “I… I want to be with you too.”
The elf Cirian first gave the three love-stinking humans a look of disdain, then grinned and crowded in. “Lady-killer Vera, don’t forget to bring me along~”
“Enough, enough, have mercy!” Vera threw up her hands in surrender, overwhelmed by the teasing.
After the laughter died down, Filing gazed into the distance and sighed softly. “I hope she can start over this time.”
Because her father had defected to the demons, Lucia had been bullied endlessly in Goldvalley City.
Every time Vera’s squad returned, they would find new bruises on her.
The frail girl had neither the ability to protect herself nor the strength to travel long distances alone.
This time, with the army withdrawing, the squad planned to escort Lucia to Mushroom Capital on the way, hoping the unlucky girl could find a new life there.
Suddenly, Cirian stopped dead, staring warily westward.
A shadow fell across the elf’s handsome face.
“What is it?” Vera noticed the change and instinctively gripped her sword hilt.
“Vera, we have to leave—now! The mist is coming!” Cirian’s voice carried rare urgency.
“Mist?” Vera strained her eyes in the direction he was looking. The horizon was still clear, but she trusted her companion’s judgment.
Filing asked in shock, “How is that possible? Why would the mist appear here?”
“I don’t know why it’s here, but it is coming!” Cirian spoke rapidly. “Head south now—we can still outrun it!”
“Will it engulf Goldvalley City?” Vera’s voice grew heavy.
“It will.” The elf’s answer was absolute.
“Then we have to go back and warn them!”
“It’s too late!” Cirian grabbed Vera’s arm. “By the time we reach Goldvalley City, the mist will have swallowed us all!”
On the distant horizon, a wall of gray-white mist was slowly rising.
Vera’s tone was resolute. “We can’t just watch the mist hit Goldvalley City. There are still tens of thousands of people there. I remember those adventurers from the archipelago saying that when the mist expands, destroying the core stops it!”
Filing countered, “The teams that succeeded had at least twenty people and diamond-tier leaders! We have no experience—this is too dangerous!”
“But I can’t do nothing.” Vera slowly drew her scimitar. The distant mist was spreading at a visible pace. “You guys go ahead. I have to try.”
“Didn’t you just say we’d die together?” Filing rolled her eyes, grumbling as she nimbly unslung her longbow.
Fiyin silently stepped forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Vera; her actions said everything.
Cirian looked at his three stubborn companions and let out a long sigh. “May whatever god is listening have mercy on us idiots.”
Vera looked guiltily at her friends. “I’m sorry for dragging you all into this…”
At the last moment, Cirian quickly reminded them, “The mist draws information from those who enter. If the environment inside feels familiar, the core will definitely be someone or something connected to you—destroy it! Don’t trust anyone except us!”
“Draws information?” Filing’s question was cut short as the gray-white tide of mist surged forward like a flood, swallowing the four who stood pressed tightly together.
One second Vera could still feel the warmth of her companions beside her; the next, she was enveloped in icy gray-white nothingness.
Their shouts rapidly faded in the thick fog, as though devoured by something unseen.
When the mist finally receded, Vera found herself standing inside a palace of unimaginable splendor.
The vaulted ceiling soared high above. Gold-leaf reliefs depicted feasts of unrecognizable kings. Crystal chandeliers glittered like stars.
Vera had never been to Oath City, but from the tales of well-traveled adventurers, even Oath City could not compare to this grandeur.
Yet this magnificent palace was now in utter disarray.
Toppled gilded candelabras lay among shattered porcelain. Scarlet velvet curtains hung in tatters. Intricately carved screens were snapped in half.
The scene felt strangely familiar to Vera. In recent days she had seen too many towns ravaged by demons—traces left by people fleeing in panic looked exactly like the chaos before her now.
As Vera fell into thought, a woman in a silk gown stumbled into the hall.
She clutched two gem-studded golden goblets to her chest. The moment she saw Vera, terror flashed across her face and she turned to flee.
“Wait!” Vera chased after her.
Stepping outside the hall, a wave of clamor crashed over her.
Vera instinctively climbed the city wall toward the sounds of battle.
From the high vantage point, she beheld a colossal city beyond imagination burning in flames.
Countless magical spires tilted like broken spears. In the distant harbor, smoke-belching ships were sinking.
Vera was certain no such metropolis existed on the continent.
“Where… is this?”
…
At the same moment, in a blood-soaked plaza beneath the city, Cirian stood stunned before a toppled colossal statue.
The statue’s head had rolled into a fountain. The severed neck revealed dark-gold metal beneath.
The pedestal still bore two clearly carved lines:
[Emperor Arthur, Radiance of the Stars, Founder of the Eternal Empire] [From the Far North Desert to the Southern Frozen Plains—wherever sunlight reaches, there lies Imperial soil]
“The Century of Chaos after Arthur’s death?” Cirian glanced at the burning city around him. “Talk about bad luck…”
(End of Chapter)
