Chapter 547 - 17: Burning Madar Mountain
Chapter 547: Chapter 17: Burning Madar Mountain
After Master Philian finished speaking, Brooks and the Black Robed Mage each latched onto different points.
Brooks knew the influence of the Beast God among the common people.
The Black Robed Mage’s attention, however, was on the Beast God himself.
"Venerable, the Beast God is no cause for alarm. We’ve seen gods descend before. Last time the Lord of Dawn descended, he was only a Legendary Second Tier at the start."
"But the Beast God has charged down from Madar Mountain. He could very well rally the Defense Army and the civilians," Brooks said.
Hearing this, the Black Robed Mage shook his head dismissively.
"Your Defense Army will not act. That much is certain."
"The only ones to worry about are the civilians at the foot of the mountain."
"Things here are almost settled. Take half the forces and come with me.
We can’t let them destroy the Transformation Array."
...
"The Beast God has descended! Purge Madar Mountain!"
"The Beast God has descended..."
Meanwhile, the High Priest had led his Soldiers to the gates of the Defense Mansion.
Inside the Defense Army camp, Soldiers chattered amongst themselves, discussing the words of the newcomers.
The Beast God has descended—is it real or fake?
"Sir, should... should we go out and take a look?"
An adjutant looked curiously at his commander, Yasorid.
Yasorid frowned.
As a Golden Ninth Tier expert, he could naturally sense a divine presence outside.
But...
He recalled the instructions from *those people* when he had gone to the Divine Hall for orders the day before yesterday.
Yasorid sighed.
"No need. The Priests are always putting on a holy act."
"This is probably just another one of their schemes," Yasorid said.
Never mind an incarnation of the Beast God. Even if the real Beast God himself were outside, it wouldn’t matter. As long as he lacks an army or overwhelming divine might, his arrival means nothing today.
"Tell the Soldiers that the duty of the Defense Army is to guard Madar Mountain. Nothing else," Yasorid said.
He was new to his post. Even if he wanted to mobilize the Defense Army, he didn’t have the authority.
...
Outside the camp, the High Priest gazed at the motionless Defense Army camp and sighed.
"Your Majesty, I have disappointed you," the High Priest said.
"They were never my people to begin with. How could I be disappointed?" the Beast God replied, shaking his head.
The "Your Majesty" the High Priest spoke of was not the Beast God.
But in this situation, it was clearly inappropriate to say so.
"The Defense Army! The Defense Army is coming out!"
"Press forward, purge Madar Mountain!"
Suddenly, a troop of soldiers surged into the Beastman Army.
The High Priest knew this wasn’t the so-called Defense Army, but rather actors he had arranged.
’Under these circumstances, it seems the Defense Army won’t be coming out,’ he thought. ’I wonder if there’s any hope with the civilians.’
"Purge Madar Mountain! Charge!"
...
"The Beast God has descended, purge Madar Mountain!"
"The Beast God has descended, purge the demons!"
The large army charged into the forest.
Hearing the cries of the High Priest’s army, the Purple-blooded Beastmen in the woods poked their heads out one by one.
"That’s the Beast God!"
"It must be him! He looks exactly like the legends say..."
"And the High Priest is there too!"
Just then, the Beast God raised his hand, and a crimson phantom rose from the ground.
The majesty and solemnity of a god were on full display in that moment.
"It really is the Beast God!"
"Your Majesty, the Beast God!"
"The Beast God has come to save us! Damn that Skull Council."
Seeing this, the High Priest’s expression brightened considerably. At least the common folk hadn’t betrayed the Beast God.
The Beast God kept his eyes closed and his arms crossed, floating through the air with the power of a Legendary Tier to maintain his divine majesty.
From all directions in the forest, people continuously rushed out, and the High Priest’s ranks swelled.
But as he watched the growing crowd, the High Priest’s expression soured.
Those who answered the call were, simply put, the old, the weak, women, and children.
The High Priest slowly came to a realization.
Most of Madar Mountain’s able-bodied men had died on the central front. Where would he find any true Warriors among the civilians now?
"Your Majesty..." The High Priest’s face was filled with panic.
The Beast God opened his eyes, looked at the scene before him, and sighed.
"You summoned me at an inopportune time."
"We..."
"Tell them I am not the Beast God. Tell them to go home."
"Your Majesty, you..."
"You should leave as well. Weren’t you plotting to restore your kingdom?" the Beast God said.
This was, of course, referring to Prince Odoruo’s affairs.
"Save some of your people. Only then is there hope for restoring your kingdom," the Beast God said.
"And what about you?" the High Priest asked.
The Beast God looked up at the sky.
After all this commotion, the moon was nearly at its zenith.
"It’s getting late. I still have to... clean house."
"When should we summon you again?" the High Priest asked.
The Beast God looked at the crowd in the distance and pointed to the children among them.
"When they have grown into Warriors, I will descend."
"From now on, do not spill blood in pointless disputes."
"As you command, Your Majesty."
...
The common folk had come in high spirits but left in disappointment.
The High Priest suddenly announced that the Beast God was a fake, leaving the people utterly bewildered.
Then, the High Priest began using his army to drive the people away, while the revered "Your Majesty the Beast God" suddenly flew up and shot off into the distance.
...
"The crowd has dispersed."
"Venerable, the crowd dispersed on its own."
On the other side, the members of the Skull Council were ecstatic when they received the news.
The Black Robed Mage also breathed a sigh of relief, but not long after, he felt his heart begin to race wildly.
A scarlet meteor streaked across the sky, seemingly hurtling straight toward him.
’It’s coming for me?’
For a rare moment, the Black Robed Mage was flustered.
"Quick! Divine Attendants, protect me."
The Black Robed Mage commanded the several Undead Warriors beside him—corpses he had spent decades painstakingly stealing from the cemeteries of various kingdoms.
The Divine Attendants charged forward.
The Beast God in the sky drew closer, approaching at incredible speed.
At the same time, the Black Robed Mage was chanting an incantation.
"He’s here!" Philian exclaimed.
The scarlet meteor reached them in the blink of an eye, kicking up a wave of crimson energy.
A deafening BOOM was heard.
An explosion of legendary proportions shook the land.
Chunks of flesh and blood flew in all directions. Wherever a piece landed, a raging fire erupted.
The chunks of flesh flew far and wide, soaring toward the distant horizon. That night, Madar Mountain would likely be lit up as if by daylight.
The Divine Attendants were all dead. Philian was dead too.
The Black Robed Mage was not dead. The spell he had just cast had saved him. His black robes had been completely annihilated, revealing his true face.
It was the face of a Purple-blooded Beastman!
Although the Black Robed Mage’s features were quite strange, he definitely looked like a Purple-blooded Beastman.
The only difference was the pair of horns sprouting from his head and the evil aura emanating from his entire body.
"Phew..." The Black Robed Mage let out a long sigh of relief.
...
Elsewhere, Prince Odoruo and a dozen Beastman Warriors had rushed out of a tunnel.
The Beast God was a Legendary Second Tier, and possessed a divine nature besides. The commotion from the explosion could be felt even from miles away.
The group of Beastmen stared blankly at the scene.
They seemed to understand that after tonight, their days as fugitives would begin.
Prince Odoruo held the scimitar from Kemal in his right hand and an ivory tusk, a gift from his mother, in his left.
The ivory tusk pierced the Prince’s palm, drawing blood.
The Warriors were silent for a moment before one of them prompted Odoruo.
"Your Highness..."
Prince Odoruo took a deep breath, then exhaled, his eyes fixed on Madar Mountain.
"The High Priest was right."
"Running is only temporary."
"I swear to the Great Mother of the Plains, I will return."
...