Who taught him to restore the country like this

Chapter 163 Imperial Hero
Keltia wouldn't be surprised to hear such words from anyone: "sacrifice the lives of an entire state."

She found it incredible to hear such words from Ron alone.

Since the fall of the Kingdom of Lah and Ron's exile, everything he has done has been done with a noble heart, and is sung by the world.

Especially his attitude towards ordinary people.

Keltia had seen many excellent lords who were supported by their people, but none of them could reach Ron's level.

Ron is the kind of person who would endure hardship and toil himself to ensure the safety and livelihood of civilians, refugees, and even slaves.

Was all of this a ruse by Ron?

So, what is the significance of him doing this?
You should know that the human rights of ordinary people in this world are not even as good as those of a nobleman's dog.

The value of commoners lies only in creating benefits for the nobility; when they can no longer create benefits, they will be ruthlessly discarded.

A lord of good character will appropriately protect and create greater benefits. But sacrificing oneself like Ron to fight for the common people's interests is a completely unprofitable proposition.

If this is Ron's disguise, then he's truly an idiot.

Doing this will only bring you the reputation of being praised as a hero on the surface but secretly cursed as a fool, and you will gain nothing else.

At least Keltia didn't see Ron profit from it; Ron always left all alone.

She had been skeptical of Ron's plan to sacrifice Dolom.

They thought Ron was all talk and no action.

However, seeing that the ritual had ended successfully, she dispelled her doubts about Ron.

As for why he changed so much, it's easy to understand.

After all, he was wholeheartedly devoted to saving the world and the people, and was willing to sacrifice his life for righteousness, yet he received special care from two major gods in succession.

No one could accept that.

For this, Keltia had to thank those two gods; compared to the previous Ron, the current Ron was more to her liking.

Town Square.

Ron stood in the center of the altar, expressionless, watching the runes intertwine and burn in the air, eventually transforming into a deep vortex that seemed to lead to endless nothingness.

The breathtaking twilight finally poured forth, like a torrent bursting its banks, washing over the land of Dolores.

"what is that?"

Around the town, the imperial soldiers, seeing the huge gray pillar of light in the sky disappear, assumed the matter had been resolved.

However, the next second, they saw gray gas spreading out of the town.

Wherever it passes, the snow and ice stop melting.

"Oh no, that's... the end of twilight!!"

A voice rang out from the crowd.

Experienced people recognized the gray fog.

These words immediately threw the Imperial soldiers into a panic.

Dusk finally descended upon Dolores?
"Run...run away quickly!"

As dusk rapidly approached, a soldier cried out in terror.

The soldiers scattered and fled.

"Success! The gods have descended!"

In the town, the cultists of the End knelt on the ground in a frenzy around the summoning ceremony, worshipping the source of destruction. Their skin cracked under the pure energy of the End, yet they were filled with a morbid satisfaction.

Ron stood aside, the Gathering Source Array Dispelling the End Energy that was trying to penetrate his body.

The cultists of the End cast puzzled glances at him, but he ignored them.

His gaze swept over the flowers, grasses, and trees that were rapidly withering and decaying under the cover of twilight.

Since the people of Dolo were still useful, the Twilight End summoned by the Order of the End was not lethal.

But it weakens the will of people in Dolo, eroding them into puppets without self-awareness.

When the twilight finally spreads to the battlefield at the port, that will be the time for the Order of the End to take control of Dolo.

Ron withdrew his gaze and walked away.

"Lord Ron, the Calamity Witch is over there..." a cultist of the End called out in time.

Ron ignored him, left the town, and headed towards the cave.

When he returned to the cave, he saw Isabella sitting calmly in front of the fire.

"Aren't you asleep yet?" Ron walked over with a smile and sat down next to her.

Isabella didn't speak, but simply turned and stared at him.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Ron asked, feigning ignorance.

"Where did you go?" Isabella asked after a moment of silence.

“Go to a nearby town and gather some intelligence,” Ron replied.

Did you see that gray beam of light just now?

"Saw."

"Twilight finally descended upon Dolores."

"Hmm, that seems to be the case," Ron nodded calmly.

It was as if they were talking about a trivial matter.

"Why did you do this?" Isabella clenched her fists, trying to remain calm.

Perhaps he had some compelling reason for doing this.

As long as he offers an explanation, and as long as it's not too unreasonable, she can forgive him.

That's what Isabella was thinking.

However, Ron refused to offer even an explanation.

“How could I possibly do such a thing?” Ron said with a laugh, his tone casual.

Are you still going to lie to me now?

Isabella's body trembled as if in anger, and gray gas uncontrollably emanated from her.

"Sigh." Ron shook his head and sighed softly, "Do we really have to spell this out? Can't you just be an obedient puppet like before?"

"So... you've been lying to me from the very beginning?" Isabella lowered her head, so her expression was not visible.

“Yes,” Ron stood up and readily admitted.

Isabella's body trembled violently, not only from grief and betrayal, but also from a violent, soul-searching force.

The approaching twilight was like a giant magnet, frantically drawing in the already uncontrollable power of [annihilation] within her.

The gray gas emanating from her grew stronger, melting the ice in the cave and causing the rocks to lose their luster.

"Why...why do such a thing?"

"Because you possess the power of 'annihilation' within you."

With a crazed expression, Ron said, "Isabella, I will use the power within you to help Keltia become a god!"

"Ugh..." Isabella curled up in pain.

Her internal powers, influenced by her emotions, gradually spiraled out of control and went berserk.

She tried to suppress the rampaging power, but the more she suppressed it, the stronger the backlash became, as if it wanted to tear her soul apart and assimilate it.

Warm memories of her journey from Canare County flashed quickly through her mind.

She once thought he was the light in the darkness, the only one who understood her and was willing to accept her.

But it turned out that this light was also a cold flame, designed only to lead her to even greater destruction. "Liar... Demon..."

Tears fell silently, but were evaporated by the overflowing aura of desolation before they even touched her skin. Despair, like a cold tide, completely overwhelmed her.

She no longer suppressed the power, allowing the destructive gray mist to spread from her body and erode everything around her.

Since the world cannot tolerate her, since even the only light is false, then... let's all be destroyed together!

I'm sorry, Isabella.

Feeling the rapidly rising power within Isabella, Ron silently expressed his apology.

He then took out the entire Gathering Source Array Plate and placed it on Isabella's forehead. The array plate emitted a faint golden light, and countless golden runes surged out and wrapped around her body.

Instantly, the overflowing End Energy was absorbed back by the array plate.

Isabella slowly raised her head, staring blankly at Ron. Five seconds later, she lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground.

Ron tied the Gathering Source Array Plate with a red rope, hung it around Isabella's neck, and then gently picked her up and walked out of the cave.

Outside the cave, Kertia, with eight wings spread out on her back, stood suspended in mid-air.

She sensed the chaotic energy of the Calamity Witch and rushed over to save the day.

But now it seems that she doesn't need to take action here.

"Are you really willing to do that?" Keltia asked, looking into Ron's calm eyes.

"We've come this far, and Lady Kertia is still asking these pointless questions," Ron said calmly.

“Ron, you’ve really impressed me.” Keltia smiled with satisfaction. “Don’t worry, I will do everything I can to save her life.”

Ron smiled calmly and asked, "How confident are you in being able to restrain the Empire's heroes?"

“Eighty percent,” Kertia answered confidently.

"That's good, then I can leave for a few days without worry." Ron handed Isabella forward.

With a thought from Kertia, Isabella floated behind her: "You only have five days."

Before coming to Dolom, Ron had told her that he was going to see Etheril and Cecilia.

She agreed.

"clear."

Ron turned and waved goodbye.

……

The news that Twilight's End had descended upon Dolo was quickly spread to the central Empire, fueled by the clamor of the End Order.

The king was furious.

The imperial hero immediately petitioned the king to send troops to Dolo to eradicate the rampant cult.

The last time he proposed aid to the Misian state, it was rejected by various factions within the empire.

His proposal was quickly and unanimously approved.

This is mainly because Dolo is not as remote as Misian; it connects to the other two states of the Empire.

If Dolom gets out of control, the other two states won't have any peace either.

Furthermore, when the [Annihilation] power within Isabella surged, phenomena similar to the end of twilight appeared throughout the country.

Although it lasted only a short time, it was an ominous sign.

They dared not allow the End of Days Cult to continue its misdeeds.

So, on that very day, the king issued a proclamation throughout the country announcing the departure of heroes to the front.

With this announcement, the imperial heroes can set off in peace.

Because the [Hero] power has a tyrannical and unreasonable law-making ability.

As long as the cause is justified and the people support it, the hero will be invincible!
The king's announcement was tantamount to giving the imperial heroes an "invincible" buff.

This is also why the various factions within the empire dare not allow the imperial heroes to act easily.

If an Imperial Hero loses control after gaining an invincible buff, the consequences will be unimaginable.

After all, a just cause relies on the perception of the majority of people. Before changing the perception of the common people of the empire and removing its invincible buff, it is enough to make it do a lot of things.

Even the royal family, which had been bound by a master-servant pact with the imperial hero clan for generations, were wary of the abilities of the [heroes].

As for why the royal family doesn't control the [Hero] power themselves, it's because the imperial royal family's compatibility with the [Hero] power is still less than 70%.

To activate the invincibility buff, at least 85% compatibility is required.

The Imperial Heroes Clan achieves over 85% success rate in each generation.

In order to demonstrate magnanimity and maintain supreme power, the royal family could only entrust authority to the imperial hero family.

Getting back to the main point, the Imperial heroes, now blessed with invincibility, arrived in Dolo State in less than a day and began their purge of the Order of the End.

He single-handedly formed an army, causing the End Order to suffer repeated defeats.

Kertia fought him several times, but she never had the upper hand.

No matter how much her strength improves, the heroes of the empire will always be able to outclass her.

This is the terrifying aspect of how the [Hero] was able to suppress [Annihilation] for hundreds of years.

Fortunately, Ron's plan did not require defeating the Imperial Heroes.

According to Ron's plan, while being pursued by the Imperial heroes, the Order of the End slowly released information.

"The Order of the End has taken control of the Calamity Witch and is plotting to use the power of [Annihilation] to bring the Twilight of the End to all the states of the Empire, intending to sacrifice the entire empire to ascend to godhood!"

Upon receiving this news, the imperial hero immediately relayed it to the king.

He believed this was very likely true, because there had been signs of twilight appearing in various states of the empire a few days ago.

The king also felt that this matter was true and ordered him to kill the Calamity Witch and stop the End Order's plan.

However, though the empire's hero was powerful, he was ultimately just one person.

The Order of the End is scattered throughout Dolo, and he has no way of figuring out where the Order of the End is carrying out its plans in the short term.

Thinking of capturing the leader first, he was restrained by Keltia's spatial abilities and Doro's countless puppets corrupted by the end of twilight.

However, this is not entirely useless.

"You've been chasing me for days, aren't you tired of it?!"

Seemingly impatient with the entanglement, the fallen angel of the Order of the End began to persuade him to surrender: "You clearly possess such great strength, yet you are subject to the weak. Don't you feel frustrated?"

In the past, the imperial hero would have disdained to reply to such remarks.

But now, he has a plan in mind to use a fake descent to seize the position of the Calamity Witch.

"Do you have any way to help me get rid of this limitation?" he asked.

“Of course.” Keltia spread her arms wide and said madly, “Once I become a god, I will no longer be restricted by these weaklings.”

"To become a god?"

"Yes."

"Tell me about it," the Imperial Hero said, putting away his weapon and looking interested.

"The high-compatibility [Hero] power and the high-compatibility [Annihilation] power, the fusion of these two highly compatible powers, as long as you absorb this pure energy and sacrifice all the living beings of the empire to open the path to godhood, you can ascend to that godhood that countless people can only dream of!" Kertia said.

"This plan sounds extremely disadvantageous to me," the Imperial Hero frowned.

"The fusion of powers will not threaten your life, and you still hold the dominant position," Keltia said. "So, how about it? Interested in joining the Order of the End and discussing the grand plan for godhood?"

"Then please give me more advice."

The imperial hero's brow relaxed, and he reached out his hand.

(End of this chapter)