Chapter One Hundred Forty-One

At the very edge of the Death Swamp, the relentless breeding of green ghouls had reduced the once-lush landscape to a barren wasteland devoid of a single trace of green.

With the installation of the final rail track and pipeline segment for the second stage, the workers raised their hands in celebration, taking pride in their labor and efforts. Their current task was now complete; next, they would retrace their steps and join in the construction of other roadways. Meanwhile, Xuanlv was about to tackle the greatest challenge of its massive infrastructure project: laying a pipeline across this unfathomably deep swamp.

The Death Swamp was not entirely composed of swamps; it also featured islands of varying sizes. According to information obtained from the Hunters' Guild, this region originally had no name. However, because its perimeter was surrounded by bottomless bogs, and such terrain made it virtually impossible for mortal races to survive—let alone build cities—it remained one of the few surface areas controlled by no faction. Consequently, it was densely populated with monsters, including species long extinct elsewhere, making it extremely perilous. Venturing deep into its interior was practically a suicide mission. Over time, the name "Death Swamp" naturally spread and became universally accepted.

While gathering intelligence on the Death Swamp, Xuanlv also uncovered a fascinating piece of lore. A mysterious and unpredictable place like the Death Swamp held too many unknowns, accompanied by an abundance of legends and literature. While these legends could not be verified and much of it was untrustworthy, Xuanlv noticed that several accounts consistently pointed to the existence of a City of Gold deep within the Death Swamp.

The legend spoke of a magnificent, colossal city built entirely of gold, containing endless treasures; to possess it was equivalent to possessing the entire world. It was a classic, authentic legend—a mysterious region combined with endless wealth, the perfect pairing. Every year, this tale lured countless monster hunters, explorers, speculators, and madmen into the depths of the Death Swamp in wave after wave. Such behavior was essentially tantamount to walking to their deaths, and only two types of people ever managed to return alive. The first were cowards who only dared to linger on the outer fringes of the Death Swamp without ever venturing inward. The second were powerhouses of the upper three tiers; a few of these had returned alive, but all of them had gone mad.

Fortunately, the section of the Death Swamp near the Lev territory was its outermost fringe, characterized by a low danger index and located only about five kilometers from solid land, free of powerful monsters. Generally, such peripheral regions harbored only three types of monsters: green ghouls, giant serpents, and crocodiles.

To construct an oil pipeline in this environment, there were two viable approaches. The first and most straightforward was building a floating bridge, connecting sections with chains and reinforced steel. The second was constructing a permanent bridge, aided by the fact that the terrain near the oil lake featured extensive black rock ground of exceptional solidity. The first method was crude, simple, and the most time-saving, but its safety index was somewhat low, making it vulnerable to destruction by various monsters. The second was the safest and most reliable.

Ultimately, Xuanlv chose the first method because building a conventional bridge at present was simply impossible; it would not only be time-consuming but also generate too much commotion, easily attracting unknown monsters during construction.

"For all the reasons just mentioned, our upcoming work must adhere to the Three-No Strategy: no deep penetration, no fear of death, and no fear of hardship."

A middle-of-the-road height of around one meter seventy, wearing camouflage and bearing a complexion tanned and roughened by the sun, a middle-aged man looked toward the frontline assault team, his expression stirring and impassioned.

"Comrades, behold such a treasure! It can be the gum you chew endlessly in your mouth, the cool and silky T-shirt on your back, or the surging, erupting source of energy inside a tank. Some nations have grown filthy rich because of it, while others have been plunged into years of endless war over it, and we in Xuanlv, precisely because we lack it, are now facing industrial stagnation."

"Do you know why those Westerners swagger about in front of us every day with their beat-up ships, yet we dare not make a move? Why is it that even those little punps of the Seven Nations dare to piss on our heads and slaughter our compatriots, and still we dare not move?"

Everyone in the front clenched their teeth and fists, their fingernails digging deeply into their flesh.

Frustration, humiliation, anger.

To think their vast Xuanlv would ever experience such a grievance. It felt as though the entire world viewed them as fish on a chopping board—a succulent chunk of fat meat that everyone wanted to take a bite out of.

"Because they know we cannot afford to fight. Because Xuanlv has only one small oil field, and because they know our oil reserves are fundamentally insufficient to support a world war!"

Wang Jin pointed toward the swamp behind him and declared, "Right there! Right there lies the foundation of our republic's might, the opportunity for us to give the entire world a thorough thrashing. The Seven Nations dared to kill twenty-one of us, but one day, we will wipe them out!"

"Comrades, the Republic needs us. Today, I, Wang Jin, swear that we will transport the oil back to our homeland, or die right here!"

"If we don't pump out the oil, we will never go home!" Wang Jin shouted, raising his fist high.

The assault team ahead responded with even more fervent passion, over a thousand people raising their fists.

"If we don't pump out the oil, we will never go home!"

Not far away, Olina stared at the impassioned crowd, listening to their earth-shaking roars, completely entranced. They were like an unquenchable bonfire—enthusiastic, surging, and boundless. Olina clenched her own fist, her face filled with bewilderment. Could her own compatriots ever be like them, bursting with vitality and fearing nothing?

At that moment, the artillery unit in the distance offered an equally enthusiastic response.

In the four months since the conquest of the Lev territory, Xuanlv had not only been building roads but also continuously expanding its military strength to adapt to the realities of the New World. At the artillery position, eighteen 155mm howitzers were aimed directly at the Death Swamp ahead.

Ever since the railway was completed and portal transport capacity reached its peak, Xuanlv's various heavy firepowers had been successfully brought in. There were main battle tanks renowned as the Kings of War, airport guardians MiG-29s, infantry iron-shield armored combat vehicles, and missiles carrying various warheads—the spears of the military. Meanwhile, troop numbers had also expanded from fewer than a thousand to over seven thousand, equivalent to the strength of an independent brigade. If it weren't for the fear that mobilizing too many troops at once would arouse suspicion from other nations, coupled with the limits of transport capacity, Xuanlv would have loved to transfer an entire field army inward.

Transport capacity—everything had to factor in transport capacity. All of Xuanlv's activities in the New World were built upon the foundation of the portal. The urgency to enhance Qin Le's strength was growing increasingly pressing, yet no better method currently existed.

The 155mm howitzer was the latest heavy asset deployed in the New World. Its full designation was the 155mm vehicle-mounted artillery piece, belonging to the New World military, abbreviated as the Second Artillery Battalion of the New World Army. It was equipped with vehicle-mounted howitzers, ammunition transport vehicles, company (battalion) command vehicles, reconnaissance vehicles, meteorological radar, counter-battery radar, and mechanical and electronic repair vehicles.

"Orders received. All units, attention! Grid Nine, range twenty, Sector One, napalm, carpet bombing!"

With the order given, the massive gun barrels let out an earth-shattering roar as countless shells streaked across the firmament.

Shell after shell plummeted into the Death Swamp, detonating at preset altitudes and turning the entire marshland into a sea of fire. The artillery barrage was relentless; the sea of flames continuously spread, forcing the monsters lurking beneath the surface to float up. Giant serpents and crocodiles thrashed endlessly within the blazing inferno, and the smell of roasted meat filled the air.

Xuanlv had chosen the simplest and crudest method, and the handling method should be equally crude. Since floating bridges would be affected by monsters, exterminating every living creature in this region would eliminate any further interference.

Modern weaponry development had essentially taken a slanted approach, skewing entirely toward sheer offensive power, becoming increasingly extreme the further it progressed. It almost felt as though, out of a fear of taking damage, they had maxed out all points into offense. As long as you annihilated the opponent, you wouldn't get hit.

Against advanced transcendental beings like Olina, this tactic might not prove all that effective, but against monsters still within the category of ordinary organisms, it acted like a lawnmower.

The continuous bombardment of artillery fire awakened the monsters within the swamp. Amidst the sea of fire, a dark shadow slowly rose upright—it was a massive black serpent measuring a full twenty meters in length. Monsters of this caliber existed only within the Death Swamp; placed anywhere else, they would have long since been hunted to extinction.

Its reptilian pupils, dozens of times larger than a human brain, burned with fury. Opening a maw larger than a house, it emitted a shrill, piercing screech. Thrashing its gargantuan body, it charged toward the two-legged creatures on the bank with blazing rage. The swamp began to churn; flames rained down upon its massive scales without leaving a single mark.

Several kilometers away, Xuanlv soldiers frowned slightly, feeling a mild dizziness in their heads. The research personnel, however, gazed with fiery eyes, looking as though they had just laid eyes upon an unclothed peerless beauty.

Immediately afterward, shells filled the sky as they flew toward the black serpent. Brilliant sparks bloomed across its massive torso, and the giant serpent emitted a mournful, wretched howl. Observed through binoculars, the serpent's scales remained unbroken, though they emitted a strange sheen. Still, the serpent's painful expression made it clear that the bombardment was far from easy for it to bear.

Following another round of intensive bombardment, the giant serpent turned and burrowed back into the mud pit.

Seeing this, the commanding officer immediately grabbed his radio and said, "Comrade Olina, we need your assistance."

This colossal serpent-monster must not be allowed to escape. Otherwise, should it wreak havoc in the future, a single sweep of its tail could completely ruin months of Xuanlv's hard work. Moreover, encountering a genuine, flesh-and-blood monster for the first time possessed immense research value.

Receiving the order, Olina took a few light steps and leaped gracefully away from the crowd. The fluctuations generated by fully unleashing her power were simply not something ordinary people could endure.

Standing upon the blazing swamp, the battle shield at her feet slowly unfolded, and a spiritual radiance flickered within her icy blue eyes.

Boom!

A tremendous sonic boom resonated, kicking up a ten-meter-high "giant wave" from the spot where Olina had stood, while she herself had already shot forward. Her terrifying speed friction against the air sparked dazzling flames—a blinding shooting star darting across the marshland.

Bang!

The fiery meteor crashed into the exact spot where the giant serpent had vanished. A few seconds later, a massive dark shadow was hurled high into the air.

The fiery meteor reappeared, dragging the giant serpent along as it slammed heavily down onto solid land.

The earth trembled slightly. Olina stood atop the giant serpent's head, exhaled a gentle breath, and looking down at her bare arms, she couldn't help sighing, "I went and ruined another piece of clothing by accident."

Because her hands exerted the greatest force, every time she unleashed her full power, the sleeves of her garments would inevitably vanish. Frequently ruining such intricately tailored clothing made Olina feel somewhat apologetic.

...

Clang!

A brilliant flash of golden light illuminated heaven and earth. A city wall stained with blood shattered with a deafening crash, and tens of thousands of people atop the ramparts instantly evaporated.

The King of Dawn, gripping a massive golden sword, stood high in the firmament like a deity.

An earl collapsed upon the ruins, covered in blood with a fluctuating aura, and questioned in a raspy, hoarse voice, "Your Majesty... why?"

"Dawn no longer has any need for your kind," the king replied with utter indifference.

With that, he raised the Sword of Dawn in his hand and gently swept it downward.

A hundred-meter-tall streak of brilliant sword light descended from the heavens, drawing the final curtain on this war.