Chapter 196 - 191: First Birch Town Unrestricted Fighting Tournament
Chapter 196: Chapter 191: First Birch Town Unrestricted Fighting Tournament
Before today, the concept of a "Construct army" belonged only to the lofty Mages.
They would assemble expensive Magic Energy Constructs to act as bodyguards for their Mage Towers or guards for their personal research institutes, using them to crush any intruder who dared to violate their private territory.
In the mundane world, most Constructs were driven by thermal energy. They were often clumsy and enormous, typically used in places like mining pits and construction sites, their movements accompanied by billowing exhaust and the roar of engines.
Jon’s Crystal Energy Constructs, however, completely shattered the stereotypes created by these two examples. They were neither expensive nor clumsy, and in fact, looked somewhat plain.
After all, most of their frames were retrofitted from off-the-shelf engineering parts, and Jon hadn’t had time to give them any cosmetic modifications.
As a result, with their eyes flickering with a dim yellow light and their metallic skeletons exposed, they looked more like a swarm of Undead creatures.
They marched in silent, perfect unison, carrying a distinctly inhuman air.
Guided by Jon, who soared high above, they launched a silent charge against the organized groups of rioters. Without hesitation, they brandished long spears and short hammers according to their pre-programmed attack patterns, unleashing their Power upon those who had already forsaken their humanity.
Bones snapped and sinews tore in their wake, leaving a trail of agonizing screams.
And this was with Jon holding back, having not yet enabled their ranged weapons. Otherwise, the scene would have been far bloodier.
Most of the rioters were just Ordinary people who had survived the initial rebellion by sheer luck. They were fine when it came to ganging up and bullying other helpless Ordinary people, but the moment they encountered a true army of Constructs built for war, all they could do was scream and scatter in every direction.
But their flight was futile.
Whether it was the [Guardians] or the [Gun Cavalry], their speed and Power far surpassed that of an ordinary person. Moreover, they knew no fear, no fatigue, and no mercy.
Any target they locked onto was pursued until it was confirmed to be incapacitated. If a target put up a desperate struggle, they would be swarmed by nearby Constructs, or even draw the attention of Jon from above. In that case, their end would not be a pleasant one.
While Jon commanded his Constructs to unleash a merciless barrage upon the rioters, the harried city guard and Defender Army soldiers finally got a brief moment to catch their breath.
They watched as the perfectly synchronized army of Constructs scattered and herded the mobs like sheep, a profound sense of awe rising within them.
"Are those the Constructs created by Lord Jon?"
"They move so fast... you can’t even tell they’re lifeless objects..."
Without needing any orders, they instinctively followed behind the Construct squads to handle the aftermath, dragging the downed rioters together to be watched over as a group.
And so, in the large area surrounding Grent Manor, the rioters’ rampage was forcefully suppressed.
All the organized gangs were broken up, and the remaining few stragglers fighting alone were no match for the Armored Apprentices from the Giant God Workshop and the furious guardsmen.
But Jon knew this was the most he could do.
The Constructs required Crystal Energy to run. But until he unlocked the core component of Crystal Energy Technology—the [Crystal Energy Furnace]—he had no way to recharge depleted Constructs in the middle of a battle. He could only extend their operational duration by swapping out their cores.
In ten minutes at most, the [Guardians] would be forced into low-power mode. The [Gun Cavalry] could last a little longer, but not for more than half an hour.
Without the suppressive power of the assembled Constructs, he alone couldn’t quell the chaos erupting throughout the town.
In the areas farther from the manor, the rioters would continue their rampage, and innocent people would still be struggling in pain and sorrow.
This situation would continue until Paris coerced the nobles into surrendering their personal guards to form an army, which would then be dispatched to restore order.
After that, everything in Birch Town would either be reborn from the ashes or perish completely.
’This... is war...’
’To purge the enemy’s influence from just a single town, so many lives must be sacrificed...’
This was only the first year of the game’s timeline, and [The Scepter Rebellion] had just begun.
When this conflict, which would engulf the entire Harvia Empire, reached its peak, what was the chaos in a mere town like Birch Town? Even the turmoil across all of Heta County would be insignificant.
Princes and princesses would fight endlessly for the ultimate crown. Their respective supporters would attack one another. Across the Empire, there would be no fewer than ten clashes large enough to be considered "campaigns," with casualties in the tens of thousands.
And that wasn’t even mentioning the later [Holy War of Faith], where the truly great powers of two continents would clash. Entire legions would be sent to the battlefield, with front lines stretching across multiple counties. How many more vibrant lives would that consume?
’And this... is only the beginning...’
Jon rode on Big Mimi’s back, looking down from the sky upon the whole of Birch Town.
Amidst the fire and smoke, the blood and death, he saw something more.
[Sweeping North Wind], [Bloodstained Royal Court], [Umbral Invasion]...
These were all war-related Major Events that would occur in the future, each one larger in scale and with a higher death toll than the one before it.
Jon knew he was powerless to stop all wars.
The great tide of chaos does not shift according to an individual’s will—unless one possesses the Power to transcend all else, to make everyone listen and obey the Rules they set.
To achieve that, one would need the strength of the Ascension Level at a minimum. And even then, one couldn’t do it alone; they would need to control a vast and influential faction.
It was an incredibly distant goal. Even with his Dual Professions and wealth of foreknowledge, Jon wasn’t sure how long it would take him to accomplish it all.
He could only do his best to carve out a Domain of order and peace within the scope of his abilities.
’Then again, maybe sticking with Reya would be more effective?’
According to the original historical timeline, at least, that girl ascended to become an Ascension Level Saint Professional in the final year of the Holy War of Faith. She was revered as a Saintess and held an incredibly high status within the Sun Church, whose influence spanned the entire Yino Continent.
A quick mental calculation told him that was only about three years from now.
’I wonder if she’ll still progress at that same speed now?’
At this thought, Jon couldn’t help but turn his gaze toward the Lord’s Mansion.
The moment he did, he was stunned.
A brilliant pillar of golden light rose from the Lord’s Mansion, shooting straight into the heavens. Though its might didn’t compare to the time Reya had driven off that foul creature to save him, it was still breathtaking!
Reya had used [Saint Spirit Stance] again!
’Something’s wrong!’
Without waiting to fully regroup his Construct troops, Jon hastily issued the order for them to assemble and return, then steered Big Mimi straight toward the Lord’s Mansion!