Chapter 118: Dimensional Reduction Strike

“The Earth Mother Church, the divinely chosen spirit of nature, Elyeka. The War Church’s Bishop Otto of Red Peak. The Empire’s Twelve Envoys, Compass Tianxin. The Dragon’s Nest, the Dragonborn General, Li.”

Wheel of the Carriage scanned the mysterious figures appearing around Hunan, identifying each one’s background and name one by one.

Finally, his gaze settled on the figure clad in a starry robe, as if the night itself swirled around him, so much so that even Wheel of the Carriage could not discern his face.

“If I’m not mistaken, this must be the divinely chosen of the Night Church, the Starry Night Fate.”

Among them were the Earth Mother Church, the War Church, the Luphorian Human Empire, and the most enigmatic of all—the Night Church. The Earth Mother and War Churches could be seen as four major forces, each allied with the Victoria Elf Empire and the Giant Alliance. Along with his own Hunter’s Guild, half of the world’s top powers had gathered here, and each knew well the reason why.

Roy listened to the wandering mage’s introductions, a storm of emotions churning inside him, his eyes betraying a terror he could not hide.

He had never seen these people before, nor even heard of most of them. The only name he recognized was Compass Tianxin of the Twelve Envoys of the Empire, though even that was only by reputation; he had no right to see the man’s true face.

Though unfamiliar, their titles alone revealed the immense stature they held—each present was a being worthy of his deepest reverence and submission.

Each was a force capable of founding or destroying nations.

Rarely did he ever encounter even one of them, but here he stood in this harsh, frigid land face-to-face with six.

Wheel of the Carriage ignored the young man’s emotional turmoil beside him and, looking at the others, asked, “Esteemed dignitaries, what brings you all to this bitter land today?”

“Hehehe,” the purple-haired woman chuckled melodiously, covering her mouth. “Wandering senior, you ask what you already know, don’t you?”

“Of course, I am just passing through!” The girl coquettishly blinked, then glanced at the others, tilting her head. “Don’t you agree?”

The exquisitely beautiful elven woman’s lips curved into a faint smile, as if the world brightened slightly, nodding, “I happen to be passing through.”

“I am also passing through,” rumbled the red-eyed giant, his voice deep and resonant like war drums.

The dragonborn, his voice hoarse, added simply, “Passing through.”

The last and most mysterious figure, the Starry Night Fate, said nothing—indeed, seemed to disregard the others entirely, quietly gazing down upon the battlefield below.

Wheel of the Carriage locked eyes with them for several seconds, as if pondering something deeply, before his eyes clouded once more, and he transformed back into an ordinary old man.

“Since we are all merely passing through, such fate—why not stay a while to observe the myriad scenes of this world and the rise and fall of all beings?”

Except for the robed figure of the Starry Night Fate, the others nodded slightly in agreement.

No interference, but simply watching the unfolding drama.

Suddenly, the purple-haired girl, Tianxin, spoke up: “Everyone, who do you think will win this war? Let’s place a bet. If Xuanlu succeeds in capturing Lief City within one hour, then Xuanlu wins; otherwise, they lose.”

The others remained indifferent, showing no sign of interest in the wager.

Seeing this, the girl did not grow angry; instead, she smiled softly and continued, “I’ll act as the banker. If I lose, I’ll give you all a free divination session. If I win, just a little something from you will suffice.”

At last, the surrounding figures showed some reaction, intrigued by the stakes.

“Xuanlu will gain overwhelming advantage, but the ultimate victory may belong to Lief,” Elyeka’s voice was ethereal.

“There are already large forces rushing this way, and within Lief City, there is the presence of an earth-elemental fairy. The Eastern Duke’s troops lack any high-level transcendent aura. It will be difficult to take Lief City within an hour,” the red-eyed giant muttered.

“I bet on Lief,” he said.

“Lief,” the dragonborn echoed hoarsely.

“Why is everyone betting on Lief? If Xuanlu fails, I’ll lose big. You’re all ganging up on a fragile girl like me,” Tianxin grumbled disgruntledly, then turned with a playful smile to the wandering mage.

“Senior, won’t you join? My demand’s not high—if I lose, just give me that bag of candies you have.”

“That’s not a low demand,” Wheel of the Carriage murmured, shielding the candies in his hand. From his reluctant expression, it was clear he was unwilling to part with them.

“I bet on Xuanlu.”

“Very well, the wager is made.”

...

Below the mountains, on the earth, stood the impregnable fortress forged from blue ironstone.

The war was about to erupt. Count Lief, lord of this land, stood atop the city walls to rally his troops.

Around him, a dozen official mages slowly conjured simple corridors to disperse sound.

“Brave knights, we face a formidable enemy. They breached two of Lief’s major cities in just one day. Thousands of knights and tens of thousands of militia were powerless before them, slaughtered like ants.”

“That’s a duke, recognized by His Majesty the King. Do we stand a chance against him?”

Count Lief’s voice echoed from the walls, down into the city, even reaching the bustling marketplace, heard clearly by hundreds of thousands.

Knights, nobles, merchants, and commoners alike felt their hearts tighten, their faces showing fear and worry. No one dared imagine what awaited them if the enemy breached their gates.

It would be a scene of slaughter and devastation; the enemy would ravenously plunder their wealth and mercilessly massacre them.

Most tense were the knights and militia on the walls—they could already see the enemy: demons piloting iron monsters.

All gripped their weapons tightly; fury trembled uncontrollably in their hands, palms slick with sweat.

This fear knew no rank; whether exalted knight or lowly peasant, all were shrouded by the shadow of death.

The first to face the enemy would be these very defenders, and the first to fall likewise.

Yet, beneath this overwhelming dread, not a single soul stepped back. Every one clutched their weapon and stood firm, ready to meet death’s arrival.

Knights could not retreat for honor and duty, and for the families praying for their safe return.

The common folk could not retreat because of the swords behind them.

Few can face death without fear; the dread of death is a primal instinct. It is a double-edged sword, capable of unleashing boundless strength or shattering an entire army at a touch.

Thus, someone must stand as their pillar, setting their purpose.

This was the lord’s duty.

Count Lief inhaled deeply and shouted with all his might:

“Yes! We shall win this battle, even if our foe is a duke!”

“The so-called Eastern Duke is nothing but a sycophant! A man devoid of noble dignity, who wages undeclared war! His conquest of our two cities in a day was through vile underhanded means and treachery!”

“This scoundrel owes his rank only to the King’s favor! Now that he openly disrupts the kingdom’s order and breaks the King’s laws, he is unworthy of the title! At this moment, knights from other nobles are converging from all directions to jointly execute the Eastern Duke!”

Count Lief, a seasoned noble, did not forget to play the blame game during his rally.

“Execute the Eastern Duke!” a knight raised his weapon and roared.

Another knight followed suit, brandishing his blade and shouting, “Execute the Eastern Duke!”

“Execute the Eastern Duke!!!”

More knights raised their weapons and howled, dispelling their inner fear.

Their bodies ceased trembling; their eyes burned with frenzy and resolve, as if endless strength surged through them, eager to leap from the walls and clash with the iron monsters.

This was the greatest difference between knights and militia: knights could ignite their will to fight despite knowing the disparity in strength. Some powerful knight orders could fight until only one remained.

But such iron-blooded legions were the pride of the empire; this modest count could not possess them. His knight order would collapse after losing a third.

The militia, barely trained, were another matter. Without knights’ protection, the enemy’s repeated charges could rout them swiftly.

Yet, these words stirred only the knights, not the fearful militia.

The militia could not understand Count Lief’s speech but knew they faced monsters and certain death.

A shadow flickered in Count Lief’s eyes—these were mere plebeians!

Like little children—foolish, filthy, cowardly, and utterly honorless. To motivate them required tangible rewards or fear.

“Kill one enemy, receive a hundred copper coins; kill two, gain freedom; kill ten, earn a noble title!”

At these words, the fearful crowd froze, then disbelief and excitement painted their faces.

Their expressions shifted rapidly until only eagerness remained—their fear vanished.

If they could kill ten enemies, they could become lofty lords!

“For honor, for Lief City, we must never retreat!” Count Lief drew his knight’s sword, pointing it forward.

This time, not only the knights but tens of thousands of militia answered his call.

“For Lief City!!!”

“For Lief City!!!”

The ceaseless roar dispelled the distant fear.

Neat or filthy, noble knights or lowly peasants—all shouted together.

Satisfied, Count Lief nodded and added, “This battle will be ours! Let the so-called Eastern Duke witness the courage of Lief’s sons!”

“Charge!!!”

Morale was high; victory seemed assured.

In stark contrast, the distant iron tide was silent—ominously so.

“Rocket units, all ready, prepare to fire!”

Orders crackled over the radios to every unit.

The silent iron tide suddenly stirred, accompanied by sharp sounds as countless rockets soared skyward, trailing thick smoke.

Still as a mountain, swift as thunder!

On the ancient walls, the old-world defenders raised their laughable cold weapons, clutching their humble honor, believing victory was near.

“Victory!” Count Lief roared again. “For honor!”

“Victory!”

The fiery wrath of technology descended from the heavens like divine retribution!

Boom!

A dense volley of rockets struck the knights’ quarters with deadly precision. In an instant, blossoms of flame erupted.

Heat and fire engulfed all, and an unparalleled shockwave spread outward.

Fire—the light and flame born of material combustion—and gunpowder—the substance that, under proper external energy, burns rapidly and orderly, producing vast volumes of hot gas—both were mankind’s understanding and harnessing of natural laws.

Millions of years ago, humans used fire to drive away beasts; millions of years later, humans used fire to conquer the world.

Summarize, learn, apply, research, explore, progress!

Endless seeking, endless discovery.

With mortal bodies wielding divine power—this is humanity!

The destructive flames instantly killed half the knights, leaving behind ruins and scorched earth.

The shouts from the walls ceased abruptly, the heatwave washing over them, leaving cold sweat on their bodies.

Ignorant honor and laughable victory were crushed, shattered utterly beneath the iron hammer called Science.

“This… is impossible…” Count Lief’s entire being collapsed as he witnessed the devastation behind him.

Burning flames scorched the land; shattered corpses lay everywhere.

The fire blazed relentlessly.

Life quietly slipped away.

Death was silent and cold.

In nearly an instant, half his army was gone.