Chapter 1324: Attacking the tree
Michael frowned. It seemed that the Ersatz had found a way to use their Artifice on demi-humans as well.
"They’re trying to turn the demi-human kingdom into their own," he said to Seberus.
"That is troubling. We cannot let them do so. The repercussions of this will be terrible for the entire human race."
Seberus wasn’t exaggerating. After all, he knew just how important the chasm was to the general flow of commerce in the world. That was why building a bridge above it was so highly contested. If they were to be the first one to create it, then they’d be able to basically control the flow of money of the entire Royal Continent!
Now, what if the Ersatz got ahold of that first? That would be a nightmare. The damage they could cause to normal, human lives would be catastrophic.
"Narito. Sasuki. Report."
"BU TO TO!"
"RAH TA TA!"
The two Shadow Orcs appeared in front of him, kneeling with reverence towards him. It had been a long time since they’d met up with their Supreme Leader.
"Are we ready?" he asked them.
"Yes, Supreme Leader. We have already issued our missions to the Elite Penumbras. They are currently taking reconnaissance within the demi-human armies."
"They will alert us of anything that is going to happen—"
Sasuki’s eyes suddenly widened as he looked towards the distance, towards the Sacred Tree.
"Boss! We’ve just gotten word that something is happening in their demi-human kingdom!"
Michael immediately changed his perspective, turning towards the one of many MIni Drones he had positioned near the Sacred Tree.
And right now, he was seeing Red Mankeys surrounding the entire tree, knocking on the houses perched upon branches with a red, aggressive look on their faces.
"Kyaaahh!"
"Stop! Why are you doing this?!"
"Let us go! Let us go! The monarch will hear about this!"
The Red Mankeys were unemotional as they started to round up the citizens of the demi-human kingdom. They didn’t even seem to be registering the screams and the pleading of their fellow citizens. It’s as if their minds weren’t really all that present.
"The Monarch needs your help," said one of the Red Mankeys. "They require your sacrifice."
"Sacrifice?! What do I have to do?!"
The Red Mankey took out a black, crystalline object from his pocket. "You must consume this Artifice. Then, and only then, will you be useful to the demi-human kingdom."
Unfortunately, the demi-human citizens of the Sacred Tree were helpless as the Red Mankeys began to forcefully make them consume the Artifice in their bodies.
It wasn’t long before the Satyrs, the Mankeys, the Lamias, the Gargoyles... they all began to writhe in the ground, their bodies contriving into mutated shapes as their very hearts were changing and being replaced by the Artifice.
And suddenly, hazy figures began to manifest above their bodies. Divas. Mutated, malformed Divas. Their powers created a shockwave that made the entire Sacred Tree shiver in fear, making it loose millions of its leaves
Michael, watching this, couldn’t help but grip his fist in anger.
The Ersatz... they were destroying the beautiful kingdom of the demi-humans. They didn’t care if they killed these helpless, innocent citizens.
He could see that each and every one of these demi-humans who’d been forced to consume the Artifice were feeling the effect of power.
They might have awakened their Diva, but it came at the cost of their own sanity and free will, as well as their lifespans.
Red lines began to spread around their bodies as their own physicality struggled to keep the power of the Artifice in check. It wouldn’t be long before the Artifice eventually won out, causing the demi-human bodies to explode in death.
It was at this point that he saw Red Mankeys fighting against other Red Mankeys.
It was the 2nd rank general! He and his army immediately responded to the screams and began to fight back against the invaders.
"You traitors! You dare hurt our own kind?!" the general screamed, his beret shaking in anger. "Where’s your general?"
"You’re looking right at him..."
The general looked above, seeing a figure standing in front of the artificial sun, blocking out its brilliance.
The figure descended. And there, the general saw a human wearing a dark robe, holding the 1st rank general in his broken neck.
"You..." the 2nd rank general was at a loss for words. His blood turned ice cold.
"His worth is no longer needed," the human said, tossing the corpse of the 1st rank general into the ground, right in front of the 2nd rank general.
The Red Mankey soldiers all stopped in their tracks, completely shaken by what they just saw.
"How stupid of him," said the hooded figure. "I promised him power. I gave him power. I promised to give him the Magical Monsters. I gave it to him. But when I asked him to give me soldiers to become slaves, he suddenly wanted out of our alliance. How unfair is that?"
The Red Mankey general was shaking. This human... no, this monster... he was unforgivable!
"Do not resist," said the hooded figure. "You are outnumbered."
Tens of thousands of demi-humans slowly stood up and faced the Red Mankey soldiers and the 2nd rank general. They were surrounded at all sides. No escape. No chances of success.
Meanwhile, somewhere on the Sacred Tree, Rowan hid in the shadows, shivering in fear.
"What... what’s happening?"
He saw his fellow citizens. Friends, neighbors, and family members, all turn into those crazed monsters with seemingly no idea of who they were. They were just mindless zombies.
And eventually, his eyes landed on the screen on his phone. It was the picture of him and his brother.
"Brother... I have to find my brother...,"
He got out of his hiding place, a new kind of motivation empowering his actions.
And just as he did, one of the Red Mankey zombies spotted him. It lunged after him, its spear ready to skewer him like a fish.
But just as it was about to pierce his body, a shadow appeared in front of him.