Throne of the North.

Chapter 735 The Second Orc War (Part 21)

On the land of Hot Spring Province, warhorses galloped wildly above the mist covering the ground, the strong winds they generated dispersing the mist.

What can be seen is that in those scalding hot springs, blood-red water bubbles and bubbles, and the orc corpses float and sink in the water.

"Turn!"

The knight general shouted loudly, and the warhorses parted to the sides. After a dozen or so breaths, they turned around and lined up in a dozen rows. The soldiers with resolute faces raised their longswords and looked at the orc army that was chasing them.

Once the orcs had run to the designated position, the knight gave the order once more.

"charge!"

"Kill them!"

From another direction, the human army charged towards the orcs. The galloping warhorses brought a terrifying momentum. When the orc army was scattered and tried to regroup and drag the human soldiers off their horses, many orcs accidentally stepped into the boiling hot spring.

"what!!!!"

The imperial mages maintained this scalding hot spring for months, making it arguably the war machine that killed the most orcs and humans in the wars on this land.

"Break them apart, don't let them gather!"

Human cavalry was already outnumbered by the orcs, so they could only rely on their mobility to reap the lives of the orcs. This land of Hot Spring Province, which had been transformed into a war-torn kingdom, was the key to this war with the orcs.

The emperor of the empire, Volvo Columbus, was ultimately unable to achieve what he desired: to keep the orcs at the borders of the empire.

This was impossible; when the overwhelming orcish army surged southward, no fortress was capable of completely keeping them out.

Fortunately, the emperor did not have to bear this responsibility; he had already left the North and was crowned in the Empire.

The nobles of the Hot Springs province dared not criticize Grand Duke Russell, for he was the greatest contributor to the war, even though he had ordered all the hot springs in the province to boil.

then……

It can only be His Highness Hilde Enrique.

Hot spring fortress.

Many nobles have come from all over the world to watch the war in the Sky Kingdom, not only to profit from blasphemy, but also to see for themselves what it looks like when the gods fall.

One person might not see anything, but the vast empire has no shortage of sharp-eyed nobles. The news of the defeat of the orc armies of the six royal courts has already spread throughout the empire.

Thus, the battlefield of the divine kingdom was about to end, and this war of slaying gods was about to conclude, a fact known to all the nobles.

The nobles, naturally, began to pursue their professional interests and engage in political struggles.

The spearhead is none other than His Highness Hilde Enrique, the current head of the Northern War.

This member of the royal family, who couldn't even find his way around, suddenly became the target of attacks from the nobles of the Onsen Province.

"My hot spring!"

The nobles lamented that their cries were real, for the nobles of the Hot Spring Province. No matter when the war ended, the land of the Hot Spring Province had already been thoroughly ravaged from the moment it began.

The losses suffered by the nobles of these hot spring provinces were enormous.

They had wanted to cry for a long time.

This conflict began between the nobles of the Hot Springs province and Hilde, but it involved much more than just them.

Even His Highness Hilder, amidst all this commotion, is not the main focus; he is merely the key to unlocking a new era of political struggle within the Empire.

The nobles needed a pretext, or rather, a table, to wage political struggles.

The topic of land destruction between the Hot Springs Province and Hilde is that table.

Ultimately, it all comes down to internal interests within the empire.

Archduke Russell originally had nothing to say, after all, he was not a supporter of the Electors during their time and was not qualified to sit at the table.

But the battle at Thermopylae gave him the right to speak loudly.

"When will the empire, suffering from the calamities brought by the orcs, finally end?"

"Our army has spent far too much wealth on the war with the orcs, but we don't know how to recover that wealth."

A grand duke of an empire can summon a vast faction simply by speaking.

The nobles listened to Archduke Russell's angry words, bewildered, until he revealed his true thoughts.

“We need to cultivate land, to cultivate land on the borders of the empire. During this orc war, especially when the orc royal court attacked Hot Springs Fortress, I felt terrible pressure when I was allocating war resources.”

"Gentlemen of noble birth."

"Do you know? I almost lost this imperial fortress because the food arrived at Hot Springs Fortress a day late."

"I can't imagine what the consequences would be if Hot Springs Fortress were lost on that day. I'm afraid we wouldn't even have the chance to wait for Lord Palacios's god-slaying power to arrive."

"The entire Hot Spring Province will be lost because of a one-day delay in food production. The lands of the nobles and the prestige of the empire will be completely lost."

When Grand Duke Russell said this, everyone felt a chill of fear. This was true, because until now, the empire had not been able to transport any new provisions to this fortress. These nobles were able to enter because they were escorted by powerful guards who flew over.

In other words, even after so much time has passed since the war began, this Hot Springs fortress, which has withstood the most terrifying attacks from the orcs, has been relying on its stored food supplies.

There's no need to talk about spatial magic; the moment the divine kingdom appeared, there was no room for spatial magic.

Russell's statement clearly indicates his desire to gain political and military authority, as well as the political power derived from everything related to this.

"The Mage Guild's power in war has been witnessed by everyone. I think that in future wars, whether it is a war with the orcs or not, we cannot turn a blind eye to magic."

"The empire's strength began with life magic."

Brutus Rodrigo, the Grand Duke elector, also had a serious expression.

"We need to gather the power of magic to make the empire even more glorious."

From Grand Duke Rodrigo's perspective, an increase in the proportion of mages in the empire translates to an increase in the Grand Duke's family's influence. Moreover, the Rodrigo family already holds the greatest advantage in training mages.

In short, at this small meeting, which was ostensibly a discussion of the war but was actually a pre-conference gathering of nobles, only the nobles of the Hot Spring Province were weeping, while the remaining nobles were fiercely arguing about their contributions to the war and the benefits they were entitled to.

Meanwhile, in the sky above, the battlefield of the divine kingdoms was raging fiercely. Clearly, in this battlefield where divine kingdoms intertwined, the orcs were the first to give way.

The raven king, unwilling and angry, spread its wings and circled high in the sky, making it difficult even for it to enter.

"Our clan's divine artifact can't hold on any longer!"

The divine kingdom at the top of the sky was originally supported by the original artifact of the raven beastman race. Once the divine kingdom is destroyed, this artifact will be completely useless.

The Raven King's roar was meant for the Orc King Shattered Bones, but the Orc King could not answer it at this moment. His divine essence had sealed him tightly inside, eroding his power. Not only were the Raven Clan's artifacts no longer effective, but more importantly, he, this great being, was no longer capable of anything.

In the divine battlefield at the celestial zenith, the vast majority of divine essence does not originate from divine artifacts, but from the deity himself. [Blasphemers!!!]

Who can feel the tremors in the void of the world? It is the wrath of the gods.

"The desire to kill gods will bring immortal calamity."

Palacios, bathed in the depths of the dazzling light, stared with fervent eyes at the few shattered divine kingdoms, about to accomplish that feat.

“Teacher, do you see? I can already control the origin of the gods. Life is infinite, life is great. Even the origin of the gods, the eternal [Tai Su], can be controlled by life.”

“You are right, gods… are not necessarily born that way.”

"Life can control everything. When life is powerful enough to control the [Tai Su], it becomes the god of life!"

"Unfortunately... you failed."

"I don't know if I can succeed."

"He will be the first, but he will definitely not be the last one I, Palacios, kill!"

"A great being? Fall from your supreme divine status, hahahahaha!!!"

Palacios laughed wildly in the divine radiance. He felt it most clearly: the heavenly kingdom was collapsing, the orcs were doomed, and now was the final moment, and he was about to kill the god.

"Our clan's divine artifact... cannot be destroyed here, otherwise boundless knowledge will be lost!"

"This is our people's eternal duty."

Blood tears streamed down the Raven King's face. It could not hold on any longer. Even though this great being was Stormfuni, whom the Raven Orcs served, it could not allow the artifact to shatter in this war.

Raven-men are more than just orcs; they exist between familiars and life, making them exceptionally significant.

With the Raven King's roar, the divine artifact book in the void before it was swallowed whole.

In an instant, the divine kingdom atop the sky shattered and collapsed on a large scale, and the orc king, Broken Bones, enveloped in divine radiance, let out an angry roar. It was a great god who had actually uttered a voice that existed in reality.

He felt boundless rage because of the betrayal!
【traitor!!!】

Blood flowed from Palacios's seven orifices. He heard the words of the gods, words of unspeakable terror. With just a touch, this legendary magician could not suppress the mutation of his flesh and blood. Blood-red feathers began to grow on his body.

"The essence of life lies in suppressing the energy of the gods. If I cannot even suppress this alienation of my followers, how can I achieve the 'Primordial Essence' of life?"

"Absolutely not!"

Palacios coughed up blood, unleashing forbidden magic. All the blood-red feathers on his body transformed into crimson magic that surrounded him, restoring him to his human form.

"Foni of the Storm! You can't hold on any longer, hahaha, the great being will die today in the magical hands of mankind."

"Let me seize your authority! Today is the day I become a demigod!"

The legendary mage went mad, while in the sky, several other legendary imperial worshippers were equally fervent, wishing they could take his place, but this opportunity did not belong to them.

"Is it really possible to become a demigod by killing a god?"

"[Stars]" Tasi murmured, "No one can be sure of the answer."

However, nothing could turn the tide for that orc god; the moment the Celestial Kingdom shattered was the moment of His fall.

The sky over Hot Spring Fortress—no, over Hot Spring Province—brightened. It wasn't the dazzling brilliance of the sun, but a pure, ultimate brightness unique to the sky.

The origin of the world is blossoming, giving this world a pure clarity. As the divine kingdom shatters, thousands of magnificent meteor fragments streak across the bright sky.

That was the fall of a divine kingdom. Real friction occurred in the high sky above this world, and the illusory divine kingdom turned into a real meteor shower.

It was presented to the beings of Norris in a manner of despair, shattering, destruction, silence, and death.

It is intoxicating and captivating, magnificent and dazzling.

A bright sky and a falling meteor signify the end of the divine kingdom.

At this moment, no matter how vast the earth, how majestic and boundless the mountains and oceans, or how limitless the sky, it is all a picture of time frozen in time. And in this picture, only the twinkling shooting star moves forward in the river of time.

They are the only dynamic elements on the canvas; no matter how beautiful the scenery, it cannot compare to even a fraction of them. And all of this conveys a message to all living beings in this world.

Greatness has fallen, and gods have perished.

Mortals cannot kill me.

The will of the gods spreads throughout the world, and only a few beings can hear the words of these gods. For believers, hearing them clearly is divine revelation.

Palacios sneered.

"This isn't the first or second time that the empire has killed gods."

As the divine radiance dissipated, the enormous crimson elephant-man 'Bone Shatter' was revealed. It had lost all its power; even a great god could not restore its great abilities to this body.

As the meteor fell from the sky, the red, human-like body gradually faded away, a sign of His death.

That is not my divine kingdom.

The whispers of the gods caused the legendary magician's expression to change.

Indeed, the divine kingdoms at the zenith intertwined, and on the battlefield, the orc army and the imperial superhuman legions clashed and slaughtered each other, but... those were the divine kingdoms released by the artifact in the Raven King's hand and the temporary divine kingdoms created by Duke Russell with the blood of gods.

The shattered, falling meteor... is also the origin of the divine kingdom released by that divine artifact.

The crimson elephant-man's body was still fading away until... Palacios saw the red fox-man hidden inside the crimson elephant-man's body.

If the goal is wrong, how can you expect to succeed at the destination?
Back then, the fox people were afraid that their weak bodies wouldn't be able to subdue the orcs, who were all brainless and believed that whoever had the biggest fist was the boss.

So it chose the elephant-man and used its divine power to become one. To the fox-man, the elephant-man, whose appearance was so obscured that it could not be seen even when it looked up, was the strongest beastman.

This was a little trick of the fox spirits, but today it has become the secret to the gods coming back to life.

As the crimson elephant-man melted away, the red fox-man inside instantly opened its eyes.

The deity released its dying soul, then suddenly let out a sharp cry and fled swiftly from the sky.

It was too fast, even Palacios couldn't catch up. The last of the gods' power blocked his and the other legends of the empire's pursuit. The demigod beside Grand Duke Russell was locked on tightly, his whole body drenched in sweat.

Even when weakened to the point of exhaustion of divine essence, great beings have long surpassed legend.

The battlefield of the divine kingdom has ended. Amidst the rainbow's glow, thousands of extraordinary soldiers fell to the ground. As for the orcs, without any guidance, they fell from the sky like dumplings being dropped into a pot, with a near-death experience, considering that many of them were powerful orcs and could fly.

The Orcish kingdom was shattered, but the Orcish King 'Bonebreaker' survived.

As a result, that great being did not die completely.

(End of this chapter)