Traveling through the second dimension, the joy system encourages me to laugh heartily!

She slightly raised her chin, her beautifully slender, snow-white neck straightened, and replied:

"You can have everything of the Kingdom of Asra—its wealth, its resources, its land and its people... including me, Ariel Anemoy Asra, all of which will be under your will."

The words echoed in the quiet bedroom.

This was not a simple act of offering herself in return, but a more thorough and resolute surrender and sacrifice—she placed her future royal power, identity, and even her entire self on the altar.

"Heh, including you, right?"

Chen Ming looked down at the princess before him, who appeared both exceptionally radiant and exceptionally fragile at that moment, and let out a satisfied chuckle.

"In other words, even if you eventually wear the queen's crown, hold the scepter, and display your majesty before the world, in the end, you are merely my possession. Even if you sit on the throne, do you truly deserve to be called a 'true queen'? Can you obtain the kind of dignity that belongs to a king that you crave?"

His words were sharp and direct, pointing directly to Ariel's potential psychological conflicts and future predicaments.

This is both a test and a reminder.

However, faced with this almost cruel analysis, Ariel's gaze remained firm, without even a significant ripple. It seemed she had pondered this question a thousand times and arrived at her own answer.

"Yes, you are right, Lord Chen Ming. Ultimately, my future throne will depend on your power to be born and to be secured. This is probably far from the 'true king' that people think of."

She frankly admitted her dependency, then abruptly changed the subject, her tone turning icy. Her previously calm voice was now infused with a chilling, vengeful fire that had been suppressed for five years and was now finally bursting forth.

"But... as long as I can avenge the countless assassination attempts my two 'dear' brothers have made on me over the past five years! Even if I can never become the 'true king' in the eyes of the world, and can only be your pet queen... I will be willing and have no regrets!"

"Hahaha... Well said!"

After a brief silence, Chen Ming burst into hearty laughter, which echoed in the bedroom, dispelling the previous heavy atmosphere.

He looked at Ariel, his eyes revealing undisguised admiration.

The contrast between this noble queen willingly becoming his pet is exactly what he needs.

The first and second princes were put to good use. Their relentless assassinations over the past five years became the most effective "assistance," constantly increasing Ariel's dependence on and affection for him, and gradually pushing her into their arms.

Now, their very existence has become the greatest driving force prompting Ariel to make her final choice and give everything. Their lives and power will also be presented to Ariel as a "gift," which he will personally take and give to her to solidify his ownership.

This deal looks like a great deal no matter how you look at it.

Thinking this, Chen Ming suppressed his laughter, but the smile remained on his face. He stepped forward, extended his hand, and gently placed it on Ariel's shoulder with a formal declaration.

“Ariel Anemoi Asra! Your wish to become queen, I, Chen Ming, accept! I will help you fulfill it.”

He paused briefly, then asked, "So, tell me, when do you plan to begin?"

[Ding! Ariel's affection level +1, current affection level 100!]

The system notification sounded in Chen Ming's mind.

This final increase in favorability stemmed from the fact that, after giving everything, the girl finally received a clear and powerful promise and acceptance from the other party. The tension of that desperate gamble suddenly relaxed, replaced by a sense of relief and belonging, as if the dust had settled and the entrustment had been successfully completed. 100 points signify a kind of perfection and absoluteness.

"Thank you for your support, Lord Chen Ming!"

A bright light flashed in Ariel's eyes, a mixture of ecstasy, gratitude, and the excitement of an impending blaze of revenge.

She bowed deeply again, more solemnly than ever before.

Straightening up, she spoke faster: "The sooner the better! Because... according to top-secret intelligence I just received, my father is currently seriously ill, and medicine is ineffective; he could... pass away at any moment. And my two brothers have obviously gotten wind of this as well. They have now sent troops to surround my palace area, ostensibly for 'strengthening protection,' but in reality, it's house arrest, preventing me from leaving the palace and cutting off any possibility of me participating in the struggle for the throne!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Ming suddenly understood.

No wonder Ariel acted out of character today, contacting him in full dress despite not being assassinated; it turns out the situation has reached the most crucial moment of the decisive battle.

With the king on his deathbed and the throne vacant, the struggle between the successors shifted from covert assassinations to overt blockades and confrontations.

Moreover, the first and second princes were clearly not complete fools.

After countless failed assassination attempts over five years, they secretly figured out some patterns of the "invisible guardian"—for example, he seemed to only appear when Princess Ariel was in direct danger of death, and after resolving the crisis, he would leave immediately, never interfering too much in court affairs or actively attacking non-assassin targets.

Therefore, at this critical moment when the king was about to die, they chose this "gentle" yet effective strategy: to send troops to surround Ariel's palace.

This would both prevent Ariel from vying for the throne and cleverly avoid the risk of a direct confrontation with the mysterious and powerful "Invisible Guardian." After all, it was merely an encirclement; as long as no one was directly killed, it theoretically posed no fatal threat.

As his thoughts returned to normal, Chen Ming's lips curled into a cold smile.

The two princes had a good plan, but unfortunately, they overlooked one thing—the pattern they had figured out simply didn't exist!

Chen Ming never took the initiative before, not because he was following the rules, but because he wanted to increase Ariel's favorability. Now that his favorability is full, he can just go around killing people.

"it is good."

After a moment of reflection, Chen Ming smiled and said, "In that case, let's set off for the palace immediately to see your two elder brothers and, while we're at it,... send them off on their final journey."

Ariel nodded vigorously, her eyes sharp as knives.

Without further delay, the two turned and headed towards the bedroom door.

Ariel reached out and pushed open the heavy, carved wooden door—but there was no one outside.

Dozens of men and women, dressed in light armor, holding weapons, and with serious and tense expressions, were already standing in the corridor.

Among them were warriors who appeared to be agile, scouts with sharp eyes, and several mages wearing mage robes but with equally tense expressions.

The number of people was small, and compared with the thousands or even tens of thousands of guards and private armies that the first and second princes might have, it did seem meager, like "a few big cats and a few small cats".

Most of them have chosen to serve Ariel's subordinates over the years for various reasons (either attracted by Ariel's personal charm, having old grudges against the two princes, or simply betting on an underdog).

At that moment, they saw Ariel appear with the legendary "Invisible Guardian," and their eyes instantly blazed with intense hope and fighting spirit.

Despite the weak lineup, the addition of this mysterious powerhouse seemed to instantly tip the scales of victory in an incredible way, weighing heavily on Ariel's side!

"set off!"

Ariel didn't say much, but simply gave the order in a clear and forceful voice.

"Yes, Your Highness!"

The subordinates responded in unison, their voices carrying a sense of desperation.

The group didn't linger. With Ariel and Chen Ming at the core, they quickly traversed the palace's ornate corridors and halls, heading briskly towards the main entrance. The atmosphere was heavy and somber, their footsteps echoing through the empty palace.

When they stepped out of the palace's tall and magnificent main gate and into the wide square and tree-lined avenue ahead, the scene before them confirmed Ariel's words.

Outside the palace, a large, fully armed group of soldiers stood in a dark, imposing mass! They wore standard, fine armor that reflected a cold, hard metallic luster in the sunlight. Their ranks were orderly and silent, forming an iron wall that blocked all the main roads leading to the outside.

At a glance, there were at least three or four hundred men, and it seemed that even more soldiers were gathering and rushing over in the distance. They wore full-face helmets with their visors down, making it impossible to see their expressions underneath. Only the cold gazes peeking through the gaps in their helmets and the silent, oppressive aura of military discipline formed through rigorous training could be seen.

Among these armored soldiers, one stood out. His armor was adorned with brightly colored, ornate feather ornaments, and his helmet was more elaborate; he was clearly the commander on site…

Chapter 345: Regret in the Northwest

Upon seeing Princess Ariel appear surrounded by guards, the commander made no gesture of saluting or asking for instructions. Instead, he stood silently at the front of the line, like an iron statue, blocking their path.

"Her Highness is traveling; all of you must make way at once!"

One of Ariel's men mustered his courage, stepped forward, and shouted at her.

The voice sounded exceptionally clear in the silent square, even trembling slightly, but it tried its best to maintain its momentum.

"..."

But all he received in response was deathly silence.

The armored soldiers remained silent, without uttering a word or even making the slightest movement, simply standing like an iron wall blocking the way.

"Zheng—!"

A clear, piercing sound of metal scraping against metal suddenly rang out!

It was the commander adorned with magnificent feathers who silently drew his sword from his waist! The blade gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

Starting with his action, as if receiving a silent command, all the armored soldiers behind him also drew their swords from their waists in unison!

The clanging sound of hundreds of sharp blades being drawn echoed around the palace, instantly raising the atmosphere of murderous intent to its peak!

Meanwhile, more fully armed soldiers continued to pour in from afar, jogging to join the blockade, making the encirclement even thicker and more impenetrable.

There were also some mages dressed in court mage robes and holding various colored magic wands! They were scattered behind the infantry formation and began to chant in low voices, the gems on the tips of their wands glowing slightly, clearly preparing some kind of defensive barrier for joint spellcasting.

Seeing this, Ariel subconsciously took a small step closer to Chen Ming beside her.

"Form ranks! Defend!"

Despite their pale faces, sweat beading on their foreheads, and tense expressions, Ariel's men faithfully carried out their orders. They quickly tightened their formation, gripped their weapons, and formed a tight circle around Ariel and Chen Ming, their backs to the center and their faces outwards, creating a fragile defensive ring.

The disparity in strength between the enemy and ourselves was extreme!

Faced with a formidable force of hundreds of elite soldiers and court magicians, they were utterly helpless, like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. So everyone gritted their teeth, preparing for what might be the last battle of their lives.

At this tense moment, when swords were about to be drawn and war seemed imminent—

"Wow..."

The soldiers in front, as if parted by an invisible hand, suddenly moved in unison to the left and right, making way for a narrow passage.

Then, from the end of the passage, amidst the soldiers' awe-inspiring gazes, a figure that stood out from the crowd slowly emerged...

He was unusually short, probably only one meter tall, or even shorter.

They are a unique race of little people in this world of swords and magic.

A magnificent suit of armor, clearly extraordinary, clad his small body. The armor, crafted from some unknown metal, possessed a white-gold hue, its surface shimmering like water, sparkling brilliantly in the sunlight. The armor was exquisitely designed yet powerful, its joints engraved with intricate magical runes, indicating a very high level of enchantment.

Despite his short stature, when he stood there, a powerful aura as solid as a mountain naturally emanated from him, instantly making him the focus of everyone's attention. Even the silent soldiers seemed to have found their backbone, and their morale was greatly boosted!

The short, armored knight slowly walked to the front of the formation. His helmet was also a full-face helmet, so his face could not be seen.

"Zzz—!"

He drew his sword—a short sword about thirty centimeters long, about the size of his body.

The short blade shimmered with an almost blinding light, like the purest crystal! It was as if it weren't metal, but a piece of solidified light! Powerful magical energy flowed across the blade, clearly indicating that this was an extremely precious enchanted weapon.

"My name is Northern King Vita! I am one of the three great sword kings of the Northern Divine Stream! The world calls me—【Vita of Light and Darkness】!"

"You must be the mysterious [Invisible Guardian], right?"

Vita's gaze locked onto Chen Ming, his voice echoing across the square: "Our lord greatly admires your strength. If you wisely choose to serve under our lord now, he will surely bestow upon you unparalleled honor and inexhaustible wealth! Otherwise..."

His tone suddenly turned fierce, and the short sword of light in his hand vibrated slightly, bursting forth with an even more dazzling light, its killing intent spreading out as if it were tangible.

"Otherwise, I will kill you right here!"

This is a final ultimatum, and also the absolute confidence of a Sword King-level expert.

In his view, no mage could possibly survive such a close-range attack launched by him, the Sword King.

This is common sense in the combat mode of this world.

"Ha... are these your last words?"

Chen Ming chuckled and then unleashed the [Multiple Chanting] spell he had prepared in advance.

Ariel's men had just given these soldiers a chance to live; they could have survived if they had just retreated. Unfortunately, they didn't cherish it, so they can't be blamed for unleashing a massacre...

"Splash!" "Splash!"...

As an invisible ripple swept by, the fully armed soldiers, whether they were swordsmen in the front or mages chanting in the rear, instantly lost their luster in their eyes and collapsed to the ground in droves, like stalks of wheat harvested by an invisible scythe!

The weapons and staffs in their hands clattered and fell to the ground, making a chaotic and dense sound.

There were no screams, no struggles.

Their souls, like candle flames in the wind, were gently extinguished by the breeze. Their bodies, however, fell into an eternal, unending slumber.

[Emperor-level Magic: Wind of Eternal Slumber]!

A wide-area instant-death spell that requires an Emperor-level mage to spend at least ten minutes chanting at full power to activate!

Thanks to Chen Ming's prior preparation of "multiple chanting," it was almost instantaneous!

Despite Chen Ming standing still, with a calm expression and without uttering a single word, he remained silent.

However, deep within his spiritual realm, countless magical engines were roaring into action! Thousands upon thousands of spells, powerful enough to move mountains and fill seas, were quietly being constructed in absolute silence, poised to unleash their destructive force with a mere thought, capable of shaking the very heavens and earth…

Ariel's men were stunned. The hundreds of soldiers surrounding them collapsed to the ground in less than a second, as if erased by an eraser! Only the short figure—Northern King Vita—remained standing, but his condition was far from optimistic.

"Instantaneous Emperor-level magic? That's impossible!"

Vita let out an unbelievable, twisted roar.

His magnificent golden armor, adorned with powerful defensive magic arrays, was undergoing a terrifying transformation under the influence of the [Wind of Eternal Slumber]—the aura on its surface rapidly dimmed and dissipated, and the intricate magical runes crumbled and vanished like ice and snow encountering a raging fire! The once-sturdy armor, as if weathered by millennia, visibly darkened and weakened, then cracked with countless fissures before finally shattering with a deafening roar into countless dull metal fragments that peeled off his body!

Before dying, Vita wanted to unleash his full Sword King-level battle aura for a final counterattack. He even attempted to swing his short sword of light, even if it was just to throw it at Chen Ming.

But it was too late.