Simultaneous Transmigration: We Share a Role-Playing System

Chapter 131 The Great Arcane Pioneer Returns to His Loyal Snowfield City

Terra, in Latin, means Earth, the cradle of human civilization, and the origin of all humankind.

However, in the distant future, 40,000 years later, Terra has long transcended the original definition of "planet" and become an unshakable spiritual pillar in the hearts of countless humans. It is a distant and sacred homeland that trillions of interstellar citizens in the human empire may never be able to reach in their entire lives.

Gudako had imagined Terra in her mind countless times what it would look like in the future. Perhaps it would be a magnificent holy land with advanced technology and surrounded by stars, or perhaps it would be the core of a well-ordered and great empire.

Although the Astartes monks, including Titus, had subtly hinted more than once that Terra was not as wonderful as she had imagined, Gudako never expected that reality would be so cruel.

For Terra at this moment, the concept of a "planet" had long been diminished; it was more like the throne of the human empire.

It is an irreplaceable administrative center, the core of faith for the entire galaxy of human civilization, and the sole spiritual sustenance for hundreds of millions of people.

Every Astartes monk considers protecting Terra their life's mission, and every human being regards Terra as a sacred and inviolable holy site.

But when the planet that had been celebrated by countless people finally appeared before Gudako's eyes, what she saw was a despairing world that had been completely destroyed and reconstructed.

Terra's natural ecosystem has long been completely destroyed; the once lush green mountains and clear waters are gone. Technology has stagnated and become rigid, yet it has also become fanatical and religious. All inventions and creations revolve around the worship of emperors and the needs of war. The imbalance in resource allocation has reached its extreme, and the gap between the privileged class and the lower classes is as insurmountable as an insurmountable chasm.

It can be said that the devastation of industry and the fanaticism of religion have completely devoured the original appearance of this planet.

On this so-called "Throne Planet," the entire globe is covered by towering hives, whose layers upon layers of rusty giant buildings block out the sky like a steel forest.

The once vast ocean has long since dried up, leaving only artificially created, murky water bodies that sustain the bare minimum of survival needs.

Vegetation and life have completely disappeared from this planet, and not even a trace of green can be found. Pure sunlight and unpolluted air are no longer gifts shared by all living beings, but luxuries that only imperial nobles and high-ranking cultivators are entitled to enjoy.

The people at the bottom of the city struggle to survive, barely managing to fill their stomachs with unpalatable corpse starch, and even their most basic right to survival is not guaranteed.

They not only lacked so-called citizenship rights and were not allowed to move freely, but they were also completely deprived of their freedom of speech. The most inviolable taboo was questioning the emperor's authority and the empire's order. Once violated, they would face the cruelest punishment.

This is not my hometown; this is just a prison called faith.

Dreams? Dignity? Emotions? In this land shrouded in despair, these have become the most luxurious and unrealistic desires.

Or rather, for the "people" living at the bottom of the nest city, they have long been deprived of their complete rights as human beings. Just to survive is a struggle, and they are instilled with the idea that they should "thank the emperor for his blessings." Even the thought of complaining or resisting is completely stifled by religious brainwashing and thought control.

The rigid class system, the omnipresent thought control, and the fanatical and blind religious brainwashing—looking at all this, Gudako felt a chill run down her spine. She simply couldn't imagine that such a dark, oppressive, and hopeless world could be the place that the Astartes monks would worship as gods and call "Holy Terra" forty thousand years later.

In Gudako's eyes, this planet was neither sacred nor great, and it was far from progressive. All she saw was the darkest and most decadent side of human civilization, the suffering and oppression hidden beneath the halo of "sacredness," which even made her waver and begin to doubt the true intentions of the emperor worshipped by hundreds of millions of people.

When they first entered the Himalayan Lostbelt, Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others landed directly on the lowest level of the Hive City.

The moment they landed, the suffocating atmosphere of the hive city hit them. Exhaust fumes, rust, decay, and radiation mingled together. If the great sage Kaul hadn't modified her Master's Attire beforehand, the deadly air pollution and radiation alone would have been enough to take her life in an instant.

What truly shocked and even terrified her were the undocumented immigrants, mutants, and laborers struggling at the bottom of society.

These people, forced to become savage, indifferent, and even vile in order to survive, harbored the most extreme and fervent loyalty to the emperor.

She had experienced countless Lostbelts and seen countless people who bowed down to their rulers, but no place was as incomprehensible to her as this. Despite their lives having fallen into an abyss and their inability to even maintain the most basic survival, they still maintained an almost blind faith in the emperor.

She refused to believe that such a world could be ruled by an emperor, but Titus, who was with her, simply told her calmly.

The hive cities of Holy Terra are among the best-preserved in the galaxy. In most of the hive city missions they undertake, the shadow of the Genestealer cult is ever-present, but here there isn't a single one. Perhaps that's why it appears so "poor."

Not long after witnessing all this darkness, Gudako and her group were reported by "good citizens loyal to the Emperor" in the Haunted City. The Ministry of Justice, which had been notified in advance, politely took them away and then handed them over to the Imperial Guard intact.

After several reviews and handovers, Gudako once again encountered Terra's bloated and redundant bureaucratic system. In fact, if it weren't for the Emperor's special order, who knows what other situations she might have encountered.

Just as she was overwhelmed by this reality that defied her understanding, a day quietly slipped away amidst her helpless running around and the shocks.

In the end, before they could do anything, Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mashu were taken by a special envoy from the Terra Highlord Council to a luxurious mansion on the top floor of the hive, far away from all the dust and suffering, where they enjoyed a level of extravagance they never dared to dream of.

The stark contrast between the extreme poverty at the bottom of the city and the immediate prosperity before them was too jarring, leaving Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash speechless for a long time.

They sat by the crystal-clear outdoor swimming pool, their fingertips tracing the cool water. Before them were exquisitely crafted reliefs, but their minds kept flashing back to the faces of those at the bottom of the city who couldn't even get a sip of clean water. They couldn't help but calculate in their hearts how many years this pool of clear water would be enough for those people at the bottom to drink.

Just as the two fell into a silent daze, the owner of the mansion walked towards them in person.

"Honored guests from Chaldea, I am deeply honored. I was personally awakened by the great Emperor to entertain you both. Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sebastian Thor."

Sebastian Thor, the former Pope of the Imperial State Religion and a permanent member of the High Council of the Human Empire, should have been in eternal slumber amidst the glory of the Golden Throne. However, he has been awakened by the Emperor himself as an envoy to receive two young women from Chaldea.

Upon seeing the other person, Fujimaru Ritsuka instinctively tensed up, her eyes filled with undisguised vigilance. Or rather, at this moment, Fujimaru Ritsuka held absolute vigilance towards everyone in this world.

Sebastian, however, did not care at all. Instead, he bowed solemnly to the two of them, his tone calm and respectful, without the slightest intention of offense.

"You two need not be nervous. Before the great emperor sent me here, His Excellency the Regent had already informed me of Chaldea's position and purpose. I have come today only to convey two things to you."

"First, the Great Emperor has issued a strict decree that no one in the entire territory of Terra is allowed to threaten your safety in any way."

Even after I have finished explaining, you two are free to go wherever you want and do whatever you wish. Anyone who dares to disobey this order will be guilty of treason and executed on the spot. Therefore, you two need not worry; we will not fight you.

"Secondly, everything you two have seen today, whether it be the suffering at the bottom of the Nest City or the prosperity before your eyes, was arranged by the great Emperor. The Emperor hopes that you can see the whole picture of this planet with your own eyes, understand the whole world, and then think carefully before making your final decision."

After he finished speaking, the Pope of the state religion, who had single-handedly ended a rebellion across the entire empire, lived a life of integrity and uprightness, and was revered as a role model of faith by millions of ordinary people, fell into a brief silence.

He looked up at the two girls across the pool, a complex and unfathomable emotion flashing in his eyes, before finally speaking slowly and adding his third sentence.

"From my personal perspective, I would like to ask you to give me a moment to tell a story, a story from four thousand years ago, about a commoner priest from a remote agricultural planet."

Because the Masters and Servants of this Holy Grail War are all beings far exceeding the scale of ordinary wars, any one of them, if placed in an ordinary Holy Grail War in Fuyuki, would be a top-tier combination capable of sweeping away the Seven Riders and ending the war overnight.

Therefore, at the beginning of the war, Gilgamesh intentionally restrained himself to avoid causing too much unnecessary killing by going all out.

But as the battle intensified, Gilgamesh knew very well that if he didn't unleash his true power soon, he would be unable to control this beast that had lost its mind and was driven only by a bloodlust.

When the gates of the Gate of Babylon were fully opened and the wind pressure of the Ea sword tore through the sky, all the Servants present completely abandoned their last restraint.

The power that the heroic spirits should possess—enough to tear the earth apart and shatter mountains and rivers—was unleashed without reservation. The mighty force of the mythical era collided violently in the modern city, showcasing the strength and terror of the generals to the fullest extent.

The result of this battle was that the center of the snowfield was completely crushed, turning it into a living hell.

Skyscrapers collapsed in swathes like fragile building blocks, asphalt roads were torn open by the aftershocks of the Noble Phantasms, and the strong winds from the battle whipped up debris and steel bars that ravaged the area. Countless innocent citizens, who had no idea what was happening, perished in this Holy Grail War that had nothing to do with them.

What truly caused the battle to spiral out of control was the entry of the goddess Ishtar.

No, the being that appears at the center of the melee can no longer be called Ishtar.

It was a monstrous creation pieced together from 30% of the remnant of the Mesopotamian goddess of harvest, 65% of the corrupting power of the Chaos Slaanesh, and 5% of the body of an Einzbern homunculus. It was filled with desires and chaotic demonic energy that could erode the mind, and even caused the Amazonian queen Hippolyta to be forced to retreat immediately, becoming the first loser.

With two Servants corrupted by Chaos causing chaos, the center of the snowfield city center has been completely turned into a chaotic battlefield with no regard for others.

Ishtar, corrupted by Slaanesh, and Hercules, whose will was twisted by Khorne, formed a three-way deadly struggle with Gilgamesh and Enkidu.

Richard the Lionheart and Jack the Ripper roamed the edges of the battlefield, clearing flanks for Gilgamesh and Enkidu, providing precise support to help them deal with these two Chosen Ones of Chaos.

On the other side, the Kyoshino, summoned by the Dead Apostle Jesta through a forbidden ritual, is stuck on the edge of the battlefield, unable to move forward or backward.

As she left, she turned to look at the Chaos Corruption Servant exuding the aura of an evil god, and at the magician and Dead Apostle who, in her eyes, were eyeing the Holy Grail with predatory intent. For a moment, she didn't know which side to deal with first.

Meanwhile, Francesca, one of the masterminds behind this chaotic battle, who had willingly accepted Tzeentch's blessing, was hiding in the observation deck at the highest point of the battlefield with François, the historical figure she had summoned, watching the farce with great interest.

They had already used the tricks and seduction of the Lord of Change to completely hypnotize Orlando, the police chief of Snowfield City, and his private army, which was equipped with replicas of magical artifacts and was known as the "Twenty-Eight Monsters." They were just waiting for the most chaotic moment in the battle to unleash their final killing move.

Meanwhile, the Lord of Change is adding the most insane touch to this completely out-of-control Holy Grail War in the way that Sleeves excels at.

With a playful yet malicious "thoughtfulness," He casually dismantled all the hidden barriers surrounding Snowfield City. From the Clock Tower and the Magic Association's observation magic to the live broadcast satellites of various countries' militaries high in space, everything could now see the earth-shattering battle of heroic spirits in the city center without any obstruction.

The secret rules, which had been regarded as inviolable iron laws since the birth of the Holy Grail War, were utterly shattered at this moment, leaving no room for redemption.

Just as the deafening roar of the clash of Noble Phantasms shattered half the city, and the entire snowfield city center trembled under the power of the Heroic Spirits, a figure slowly walked into this chaotic battlefield, against the backdrop of scattered smoke and rubble.

He leaned on a cane, his steps unhurried, with a blonde girl beside him whose cheeks were puffed out in anger, seemingly muttering something under her breath.

This is a battlefield where even gods are bloodthirsty, where flying steel bars can easily tear apart mortal bodies, and the aftershocks of powerful artifacts can instantly annihilate an entire city block.

Yet he walked among them with an air of leisurely ease, as if an invisible barrier surrounded him, shielding him from all the smoke and fire.

The strong winds and destructive power were kept out.

Despite not making any earth-shattering noise, the moment he stepped onto the battlefield, all the Servants, Mages, Dead Apostles, Masters, and even the mutated creations corrupted by Chaos, stopped fighting without prior agreement.

It was as if the whole world was shouting from the depths of their souls—look at him, he is important.

The battlefield, which had been devastating just a moment ago, fell into a perfectly timed deathly silence. The next second, everyone moved away from the center of the battlefield, stepping on the collapsed buildings and broken walls to find a foothold, and all turned their gazes to the man who was walking slowly towards them.

Locke stood right in the center of the battlefield, the sole focus of all eyes, like the only protagonist in this stage play called the Holy Grail War.

At that moment, a common question uncontrollably crept into the minds of everyone present:

who is he?

Only one person knows the answer to this question.

Flat, who was on the phone reporting the battle situation to Webber, looked at Locke and then said in surprise, "Hey? Isn't that Victor? Why is he in Snowfield City too?"

King El-Melloi II: "What did you say???"

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