End of Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Two

It was midday, and the sky was shrouded in heavy, dark clouds that cast a gloomy shadow over everything. The city of Lev was enveloped in silence, the air thick with the scent of gunpowder, and scattered flames flickered amidst the ruins.

At the heart of the city stood the castle, where the knights left to defend it watched the distant city gates with unsettled eyes. The deputy commander of the Lev Knights stood tall atop the battlements, his expression solemn and unwavering, revealing no trace of fear. At this moment, he was the pillar for everyone remaining here; he could not afford to show any sign of weakness.

“Deputy Commander, it seems our troops at the city gates have been completely wiped out,” a knight finally voiced what everyone was thinking.

From their vantage point, the once-mighty walls of Lev had crumbled, leaving only a few stubborn pillars standing amidst the wreckage. In the wake of a calamity akin to divine wrath, the entire Lev Knights’ garrison had been destroyed, leaving behind nothing but ruins, corpses, and scattered flames.

The deputy commander gazed into the distance, offering solace: “I know, but the lord is not dead yet. The lady has gone to fetch him. Once he returns, we will immediately evacuate through the secret passage.”

His words brought a collective sigh of relief; at least they would not have to make their last stand here.

Suddenly, a dark shadow streaked overhead, crashing heavily onto the castle’s summit, shattering stone and sending debris tumbling downward.

“What is that?!” everyone snapped their heads around, finally seeing what the shadow was.

It was a crimson banner, its exquisite silk fluttering as the red flag was planted atop the castle, waving proudly in the wind.

At that moment, at the far end of the road leading to the castle, a figure slowly emerged.

The clatter of metal striking the ground echoed as a golden-haired girl clad in battered armor approached, holding a severed head in one hand and a broken sword in the other.

A gentle breeze stirred her shimmering golden hair, revealing eyes behind the strands that glowed with a striking scarlet hue.

All the knights stared at her, suddenly gripped by an inexplicable dread, their bodies trembling uncontrollably, as if invisible hands had gripped their hearts.

Then, with a tremendous explosion, the armored girl vanished, leaving behind a massive crater where she had stood.

The battlements trembled beneath their feet as massive stones flew, shattering ornate statues and marble alike.

In that instant, the castle walls were breached.

“Form ranks!” the deputy commander finally shook off the strange paralysis and roared, rousing the others to action.

***

Before the elegant castle square, Orlina stood gazing at the magnificent fortress carved into the mountainside, unable to suppress her admiration for its beauty.

Around her, knights clad in heavy armor descended from the walls, swiftly forming battle formations that encircled her.

“You all deserve to die,” Orlina’s voice was soft and calm, like a gentle breeze beneath the harsh midday sun.

“All of you... must die.”

She tossed the severed head into the air as a ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds.

***

At the rear command center, Qin Le received intelligence from the helicopter reconnaissance unit.

Orlina was suspected of having successfully slain Count Lev, yet she had not left the city but was instead heading toward the castle.

“Has this girl lost her mind?” Qin Le frowned slightly, concern tightening his brow.

Putting aside personal ties, from a national perspective, Orlina was an invaluable talent. She had a high probability of becoming the Dawn King—a supreme warrior wielding the Dawn Sword and single-handedly leading an army—a future key ally for the Xuanlu faction in the new world.

Even if she did not ultimately become the Dawn King, Xuanlu intended to invest heavily in her development. Her natural talent was undeniable; despite lacking resources, she had rapidly advanced on the path of the extraordinary, becoming a fourth-tier prodigy at just seventeen—a feat akin to a self-taught scholar equivalent to a doctorate holder at the same age.

Some within the national leadership even preferred that Orlina not become the Dawn King but be fully integrated into Xuanlu, molded into its most steadfast warrior. Her background, ideals, and temperament suited Xuanlu perfectly; anywhere else in the new world, she would be an outlier—Xuanlu was her true home.

Still, considering the broader picture, Xuanlu planned to see her crowned Dawn King. After all, they could not predict or control what she might do if she served another.

With Orlina, their interests were aligned.

Qin Le had agreed to her request to help her understand the harsh realities of the battlefield and the necessity of war—not from a strategic standpoint, but as a friend.

The path she was about to tread would be stained with blood; if she clung to naive kindness, she would surely fall hard.

“Amya, go and take a look,” Qin Le ordered.

Before he finished speaking, Amya vanished, a flicker in the same spot.

Qin Le picked up the wireless phone on the desk. “Plan Two is underway. Full assault.”

***

At the shattered city gates, tank treads crushed rubble beneath them, advancing steadily into Lev.

One armored vehicle after another rolled into the city, fully armed soldiers following closely behind to secure and occupy the area.

This was Xuanlu’s standard approach: establish fire superiority first, then send in infantry to hold ground.

As one transportation route after another fell under control, the outcome of this war was sealed—Xuanlu was the victor.

Lev city was captured within an hour, without a single casualty.

***

Leaning against the castle built on the mountain range, Amya emerged from the inner world, immediately struck by a thick stench of blood.

Before her lay a field of corpses; dark red blood stained the exquisite marble floors, mingling with the scent of rust in the air.

Severed limbs, broken arms, heads, shattered armor, and faces pale with the terror of death like lifeless fish.

The ground was riddled with countless cracks, and upon the nearby walls, corpses were fused into the stone, their flesh smeared like clotted mud.

All were dead—every knight left to defend the castle had perished.

“What is this...?” Amya looked around uneasily, ready to retreat into the inner world at the slightest danger.

The scene was so horrific it naturally evoked thoughts of demonic forces.

Looking up at the castle, Amya’s pupils contracted sharply, her expression frozen.

The fortress, constructed from marble and nestled against towering mountains, bore both the solemn majesty of the peaks and the refined elegance and sanctity of nobility.

On the steps leading to the castle sat a figure quietly.

Orlina, clad in battered armor, faced away from the grand fortress. Her broken iron sword was thrust before her. She gazed into the distance with icy blue eyes devoid of sorrow or joy.

The breeze tousled her radiant golden hair, which gleamed amidst the surrounding crimson.

The steps were littered with armored corpses, blood flowing from their wounds, trickling down the stairs.

For a moment, the scene seemed to transform into a throne—a throne built from bones and blood.

“Orlina!” Amya snapped back to reality, flickering a few times as she moved up the steps.

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” she asked, concern deepening as she placed a hand on Orlina, beginning a physical check.

At that moment, fully armed soldiers surged toward the castle gates in the distance.

The week-long war had ended. Lev city, the heart of the Lev territory, had fallen to Xuanlu before anyone else could react.

The onion-like layers of defense had been thoroughly breached, making the next steps straightforward: swiftly eliminating all remaining resistance with Lev as the core.

Ultimately, Lev’s abundant free labor force would be used to build roads and extract oil.

***