Sure enough, they came with ill intentions.

Accompanied by the tumultuous flute sound that pierced deep into the human heart.

Among the Kingdom's defensive forces surrounding the Portsmouth Shipyard, those ordinary soldiers, most of whom hadn't reached Tier 2 Extraordinary, found their eyelids uncontrollably drooping closed, then collapsed with a thud.

Clang! Clang!...

The loud clang of armor hitting the ground couldn't wake them up again.

Even the few soldiers with firm resolve began to sway with their eyes unfocused.

Shortly after, a series of sharper, more powerful notes reached them.

Strum! Strum! Strum!...

The sound still came from the vast depths of the Black Sea, but it was no longer a sound a flute could produce; it was more like the melody of a bass violin.

Compared to the crazy, chaotic melody of the flute, the violin sounded more vigorous, more direct, with a clearer purpose, which was unmistakable mockery and disdain.

Some human knowledge is pre-existing, born into the brain.

And music, as an art form, can reach straight to the heart's origin, stirring emotions without needing to engage any intellect.

Therefore, regardless of being literate or musically appreciative, all conscious people could clearly sense the performer's thoughts:

"You are a pathetic little worm!"

"No one will ever love you!"

"Failures don't deserve to breathe the air..."

Following this, even the soldiers who hadn't fallen during the first wave of flute sound began to lose focus, their eyes darting left, right, up, and down, gradually out of their control.

Clang clang clang....

Followed by a grander piano sound, like a storm crashing down, but every note conveyed the most heart-piercing ridicule.

This time, even high-tier Transcendents were not spared.

"Mmm～"

Many Transcendents, including Aiven's disciples, couldn't help but clutch their foreheads, groaning in pain.

The human Spirit World was like an onion, peeled layer by layer by these pieces of music, laid bare and utterly defenseless.

The past they most wanted to forget surged back into their minds, embarrassing, painful, regretful, hateful... magnified a thousandfold, replayed over and over.

This was a large-scale spiritual attack using music as a vessel, with extremely high intensity!

Eventually, even Olivia and Angie, standing beside Aiven, frowned and clutched his coat on either side.

The nearby Queen Liweina rubbed her forehead and considered moving, but there was no space left beside Aiven.

Yet.

Mennon Watt, the "Crowned Wizard," the strongest there, was already too preoccupied to handle the attack.

In the moment the massive [World's Favor] descended upon him, he involuntarily entered the long-prepared [Truth Embodiment] ascension state.

"Violet Eye," "Light of Alchemy," continuous technical outputs, breaking school traditions to embrace the Church... years of careful planning all for this moment.

Riding the surging torrent stirred up by [World's Favor], he ascended the throne of [Truth Embodiment] in one go!

Not only because the force stirred by the current world trends was the strongest, but also because [Elixir of Immortality: Half-Finished] was still only a half-finished product, temporarily restoring him to his current youthful state was sheer luck.

Nothing in life is perfect, missing this opportunity might mean there'd be no next time.

The [Clock Tower], having reached the final step but failing, was Watt's cautionary tale.

Thus, knowing full well there was a formidable enemy nearby, the ascension had reached a point where it had to be completed.

With a voice mixed with the texture of metal friction, the "Crowned Wizard" issued a command with a do-or-die conviction:

"[Hephaestus Square]... embody, commence!"

Ssshh——!

Pure white steam gushed out as Watt's body suddenly cracked open like a mechanical construct, revealing brilliant orange-red firelight from within, accompanied by the increasingly loud roar of the steam furnace and reciprocating pistons.

The "Crowned Wizard's" body was inherently the manifestation of a particular rule of the world.

At this moment, it seamlessly connected with the World Root Source and the [Mysterious Source: Hephaestus Square] floating like an island in the Sea of World Consciousness!

To welcome this great entity about to be born in the Material World, the entire Spiritual World was vibrating in response, and the Spiritual Wind whipped up a mighty tide.

Clatter.. clatter..

Intricate gears, springs, cylinders, pistons, cranks, gemstones, complex and tiny spells... countless mechanical and alchemical structures, known and unknown to outsiders, unfolded one by one from his body.

It was as if he was completely exposing his life's work and all the years of the "Alchemy School: Alchemy Tools and Enchantment Engineering Branch" to others.

Even with their minds reeling and their heads about to split, the wizards present struggled to open their eyes wide and look.

To those pursuing the world's truth, witnessing such a scene was like beholding a peerlessly beautiful nude, utterly enchanting.

Moreover, before [Truth Embodiment] was completed, it wouldn't lead to the incomprehensible degradation and loss of control characteristic of a Demigod's [Mythical Form], and observing this was infinitely beneficial.

"Everyone, fall back, away from the dock!"

Unable to care for the newly launched [Dreadnought-class: Armored Cavalry] or the [World's Favor] descending overhead.

Aiven glanced at the [Cross Badge] on the back of his hand.

As a Peak Grand Witch just one step away from being a Crowned Wizard, he unapologetically stepped forward, raising his right hand high.

Buzz....

An invisible ripple spread out, transforming into a massive dome with a diameter of ten kilometers, completely covering the entire shipyard.

[Sea Monarchy: Serenity]

With the authority borrowed from the True God, he issued a command, and the surrounding wind elements immediately fell silent, not allowing even the faintest breeze to rise within this vast area.

And between the silent area and the normal air outside, a vacuum band to block sound transmission formed simultaneously.

It was at this moment.

Aiven's [Magic-like Technique: Eye of Magical Insight] finally vaguely saw, at the distant sea boundary 600 kilometers away from Portsmouth, a very blurry light and shadow standing on the sea surface.

Under the gradually rising silver moon.

The deity wore a colorful robe and a hat adorned with countless golden bells, but the body under the clothes and hat was somewhat blurred, as if composed of transparent notes forming an invisible person.

But through this distinct form, Aiven was able to judge the identity of the opponent.

"This guy is.... 'God of Music' Tru Ningbra?"

As expected, yet another god who appears to act alone, but likely has already secretly sided with the "God of Black Wings" as an Evil God.

Yet it was completely unable to move Aiven.

As more Evil Gods surfaced, Aiven grew more curious about the "promise" that the "God of Rotting Flies" had mentioned initially, but such high-level secrets are certainly held only by a select few.

It's possible it's only limited to the Demigod Level, and at least "Lady Crow" Ye He'er, who had already infiltrated the enemies, had never heard even the Evil God's Followers or Ancient God's Descendants reveal the truth.

The "God of Music" Tru Ningbra once was a music master in the "Renaissance Period," ascending to godhood alongside "God of Opera" Percy, and fell to Evil God status around the same period.

This group of artist gods are all geniuses, the most dazzling art stars of that era, but also prone to radical and extreme thoughts.

Originally as humans, they were just low-level Extraordinary, or simply human artists, lacking the necessary mystical knowledge, unable to adapt to the duties and powers of gods in a short time.

Many mortals who ascend to godhood easily become lost in the complex human beliefs.

Percy and Tru Ningbra were no exceptions.

In Aiven's mystical knowledge, some outstanding musicians might catch the "God of Music's" interest.

Once a music talent attracts this existence's attention, its incarnation will visit the person, playing music in their mind continuously.

Following Tru Ningbra's visit, the musician will gain further music knowledge and skills, while gradually losing their sanity, and becoming deeply fascinated by the "God of Music," complying completely with its words.

But being a niche Evil God, the intelligence only extends this far.

"Hmm? Is it ineffective?"

Aiven suddenly frowned.

By common sense, sound waves need a medium to propagate, whether in vacuum or silence of wind elements, they are radical measures.

But when Aiven activated [Sea Monarchy], the storm-like piano music not only did not cease but grew wilder.

Strumming and jingling....

Tru Ningbra's "Mythical Form" lacks a physical body, essentially a collection of various music.

The sound waves it produces can penetrate all barriers, when mortals face it, even blocking ears is ineffective, even the deaf cannot escape.

As it is now.

As the music continues, the soldiers guarding around the shipyard, those barely maintaining self-awareness among Tier 2 Transcendent already unconsciously pressed the sword hilt at their waists.

"Do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti, scum! As absolute failures! Unleash the violence in your hearts and prove your worth to gods! Ha ha ha..."

Commands from the "God of Music," carried by the piano music, slammed into the hearts of everyone in the shipyard.

Under the power of a Demigod, most had no resistance, the Transcendents drew their longswords, ordinary soldiers raised their guns, and were about to rush towards Mennon Watt.

Even Aiven, barely holding on, after restraining his men around, was powerless to stop them.

When the first Navy School Officer's longsword was about to fall on Watt's deployed [Hephaestus Square].

Clang! Clang! Clang!....

Accompanying the ringing chimes from the Celestial Holy Mountain, a golden sun suddenly appeared above the shipyard, unleashing infinite sacred light, causing the rioting soldiers to fall.

Whoosh——!

Then, streaking across the night sky to illuminate the vastness, with irresistible majestic power, it soared towards the direction from which the sound came at the distant sea.

Saint Angel Bellenus had long been ready for Mennon Watt's promotion.

In the current opposition between "Sea Monarchy" and "God of Black Wings," his [Truth Embodiment] was not just an achievement of the "Alchemy School," but also a leap in their side's strength.

Boom! Boom! Boom!...

Immediately, the atmosphere shook, seawater flooded back, the two Demigods evidently engaged in battle in the distant sea.

"A narrow escape!"

Aiven estimated that this remote harassment was probably at the limit of an Evil God's audacity.

Even with the "God of Black Wings" backing it, in this era where True Gods suppress the world, any bold gods attempting to intrude into civilized lands either got sealed away or fell silent.

With Saint Angel Bellenus entering the fray, Aiven had just sighed in relief, his brow furrowed again instantly: 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"But... why does it feel somewhat anticlimactic, their provocations are no different than kids smashing someone's window? Are the Evil Gods all idle?"