Chapter 55: The Echoes of a Thousand Years

“What is this?”

For some inexplicable reason, Gern felt his emotions stirred. The statue seemed to possess a magical allure, drawing him in.

“The God-King, Kaled, a lord who dared to declare war on Chaos a thousand years ago.”

As Snow spoke, her voice trembled slightly, as if recalling deeply unpleasant memories.

Gern remained silent, simply standing before the statue, gazing at the faces carved into it.

Considering that Chaos still plagued the world, it was clear that their efforts had ultimately failed.

“You might not fully grasp it from my words alone. Next, I will allow you to briefly return to that era and experience it for yourself.”

Gern nodded, and Snow led him into a small room. The space was cramped, with a wooden table in the center, upon which rested a transparent box.

Snow retrieved a black stone from the box and placed it on the single bed nearby, then addressed Gern.

“Gern, lie down.”

Gern nodded and lay on the bed. Snow then began various adjustments. Moments later, Gern felt his consciousness grow hazy.

“Sleep, sleep. Soon, you’ll witness the scenes of that time.”

This was the last thing Gern heard. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in an incredibly spacious plaza.

The plaza was filled with soldiers clad in armor, though their gear appeared remarkably peculiar—all of it black fabric armor.

Gern himself wore such an armor. He tapped it with his hand, feeling something hard underneath. The armor contained other protective elements, seemingly interchangeable panels within.

Just then, a figure ascended the high platform. It was a black-haired youth, his eyes blindfolded with black cloth. The cloth and his dark hair fluttered in the wind, giving him an exceptionally heroic appearance.

“Soldiers! The demons have already breached several nations, and they are on the verge of encroaching upon the territories of our Olga Kingdom!”

“You have all witnessed the fate of humans under demon rule. They treat our brethren as livestock, as toys for their depraved desires!”

“They spare not even the corpses of our human kin, transforming them into monsters akin to their own kind!”

“Starting today, I, as the King of Olga, declare the immediate establishment of the Human United Front!”

“Until the demons are broken, we shall not turn back!”

“Until the demons are broken, we shall not turn back!”

“Until the demons are broken, we shall not turn back!”

The soldiers below echoed the youth’s shouts. Gern was deeply moved by the atmosphere and found himself joining their mighty roar.

“Until the demons are broken, we shall not turn back!”

****

Next, the scene shifted abruptly, revealing a battlefield. Human corpses lay scattered everywhere.

The air was thick with the color of blood, and its pungent, metallic scent made Gern cough. It was at this moment that the fallen corpses around him suddenly began to writhe, rising to their feet.

Gern’s eyes widened. He had never witnessed such grotesque creatures—devoid of magic, lacking a knight’s strength, and utterly without vital signs.

He instinctively tightened his grip on the strange weapon in his hand, his body unconsciously bracing the dark, unfamiliar object against his shoulder.

He pulled the trigger, but nothing happened. Indeed, his ammunition was completely depleted; the object in his hands was now nothing more than scrap metal.

The body’s owner drew a small knife from their waist, embedding it into the front of the black weapon. Raising this makeshift weapon, they began to shout.

“For Olga! For humanity! Kill!”

Accompanied by a jarring shift in perspective, Gern—or rather, the original owner of this body—charged alone into the midst of the monsters.

The weapon thrust in and out, yet the monsters did not fall. Instead, they lunged back at Gern.

*Bang, bang, bang!*

The next moment, countless explosions erupted. Objects resembling pebbles, imbued with terrifying power, slammed into the monsters’ bodies. They were instantly knocked to the ground, unable to fight further.

“Lad, do you still have strength left?”

Just then, a knight clad in iron armor approached, wielding a long spear. This man was a sixth-tier knight, his aura of vital energy incredibly potent, though limited by the ceiling of his own talent, this was the highest realm he could reach. He was burly and exceptionally tall, clearly a formidable warrior. Gern stared at him, momentarily forgetting to reply.

The knight showed no anger. Instead, he dismounted and clapped Gern on the shoulder.

“My apologies, we arrived late. Lord Kaled has already organized a counterattack, and we will reclaim the fallen lands.”

****

The scene blurred once more. As before, Gern found himself inhabiting the body of another soldier.

“My name is Venaci! You demon scum, prepare to face the wrath of the Olga Kingdom!”

Countless airships soared across the sky, slowly advancing over the demon armies arrayed outside the city walls. Then, black stones began to plummet.

In the next instant, fierce explosions ripped through the demon formations, and countless lives stained the earth crimson.

****

“General, we have no more reinforcements, General Kukuru! We are surrounded; quickly open the city gates and flee!”

“No one flees! Lord Kaled’s plan has reached a critical juncture; no mistakes can be made here because of me!”

“Fight! Even if we fight to the last man, no one shall retreat a single step! You will follow me to meet those damned demon armies!”

****

“Great victory! Great victory! The Olga Kingdom’s fifty thousand troops have achieved a magnificent triumph against the demon army of two hundred thousand!”

“Humanity is saved, ha… humanity is saved! Hahaha!”

****

Information surged into Gern’s mind like a tide, his own emotions deeply affected by the fragments preserved within the memory stone.

But just as humanity completely eradicated the demons, the style of the memory stone’s narrative abruptly shifted.

At this point, the young man, Kaled, seemed to be arguing with individuals who had learned from the witches. Among them were faces familiar to Gern, such as Snow and Selina.

Their conversation appeared strained and unpleasant. For reasons unknown, this particular segment was exceptionally blurry and unclear to Gern.

****

The next fragment depicted a sudden, dramatic change. It was still the same plaza, and still the same young man. This time, he uttered no resounding slogans. He merely gazed up at the sky, where a gaze seemed to pierce through the heavy, overcast clouds.

A faint smile played on his lips as he looked heavenward, as if challenging the entity above, before turning his attention to the assembled crowd.

“This time, our enemy is stronger than ever before. It is neither human nor demon, nor even a living creature.”

As he spoke, none of the soldiers in the plaza uttered a word. Their eyes were resolute, having long understood the purpose of this address. Kaled seemed pleased with their reaction. He moved among the soldiers, walking past each one. When he noticed a soldier whose uniform was slightly disheveled, he would even straighten it for them.

“Our enemy this time is the being above, the God of Chaos. Are you all prepared? Prepared to face the God of Chaos?”

“By the Holy Emperor’s command!”

Everyone uniformly pounded their left fist against their chest, as if cast from the same mold.

“Good! Follow me! To war!”