Elf Kingdom: Game of the World Tree-Chapter 979 - 683: Pray to the Goddess

"Brother Gale, isn’t our mission to save the territory’s civilians and promote the faith of the Goddess? Why..."

"Because it’s war."

Facing Gale, he sighed silently.

"In war, there is no good or evil. Since they chose to resist, they are our enemies."

"Not to mention, this is just a game."

He said.

But it felt more like he was talking to himself.

Taking a deep breath, the Elf Warrior looked at Ye Ye:

"If you’re not comfortable, you can step back and handle logistics. The war in the Elf Kingdom is indeed hardcore, but... war is cruel like this."

"I know you feel bad, but don’t worry... it’s only temporary, you’ll feel much better once you leave the game."

Ye Ye opened his mouth, unsure of what to say.

However, before he spoke, the always silent girl Nai Nai spoke first:

"I can’t bring myself to do it, I’ll go rest first."

She finished speaking, turned, and walked down the city wall.

Ye Ye was slightly stunned, quickly chased after her, but after a few steps, his attention was drawn by some militia’s voices.

"Grandpa Hans, Grandpa Hans, calm down! Calm down! It’s me, Finn!"

A human youth, seemingly in his twenties, held a gray-haired old man, looking anxious, while the old man’s eyes were red and kept struggling...

Ye Ye recognized this young man named Finn.

It’s said that he was originally a villager from nearby towns, and after his parents passed, he chose to come to Augus City to make a living, then encountered the war, and was conscripted by the Red Maple Kingdom as a soldier.

However, after players captured the city, he quickly embraced the Goddess faith under the players’ propaganda and became a devoted believer, voluntarily helping the players guard the city as a militia...

Ye Ye was once helped by him too, when he and Nai Nai were wandering around Augus City looking for a blacksmith shop, it was Finn who helped guide them, his attitude exceptionally enthusiastic.

"Kill me! Let me die! Let me die! Kill me! Let me die!"

The elderly man in the youth’s arms kept struggling, his voice hoarse, his expression filled with despair.

Clearly, he’s a "soldier" who just climbed the city wall.

"Why? Why are you like this? Calm down! You still have Sabina and Marcus!"

The young Finn persuaded.

Upon hearing his words, the old man immediately started to cry:

"Dead! Sabina has already been killed by them! If I don’t die... Marcus will be killed by them too..."

"Waa... kill me! Finn, please let me die! Let me die! Only then can little Marcus live!"

Seeing the crying old man and the panicking youth, Ye Ye widened his eyes, at a loss of what to do.

At this moment, a player dressed in divine equipment suddenly appeared behind the elderly man.

He reached out and pointed lightly at the old man, muttering an incantation, causing the old man to fall asleep.

It’s All-Star Ah Can.

"Brother Can!"

Ye Ye instinctively called out.

All-Star Ah Can glanced at him, nodded at him, then refocused his attention on the elderly man.

He rolled up the old man’s sleeve, glanced at his wrist, and frowned slightly.

"Elf Lord, what’s wrong with Grandpa Hans? He’s never been like this... what does he mean by dying?!"

The young Finn asked anxiously.

All-Star Ah Can looked serious:

"It’s the Blood Covenant..."

"Blood Covenant?!"

"Exactly, he was forcibly signed with a blood covenant to send him to die in the siege... and it’s a two-way blood covenant, if he doesn’t die, the person on the other side of the covenant will die..."

All-Star Ah Can said solemnly.

As he spoke, his expression gradually turned heavy:

"These people, are forced to be cannon fodder for the siege."

"This... how could this be possible!?"

The young militia’s face turned pale.

Then, he clenched his fists:

"Those evil... damn nobles!"

He gnawed his teeth.

Ye Ye was similarly dazed, then couldn’t help but ask:

"Brother Can, can this Blood Covenant be undone?"

"It’s difficult..."

The All-Star Acan shook his head.

"Once the Blood Covenant is signed, it only disappears upon fulfilling the contract or when the contract is broken afterward."

He sighed.

Upon hearing the All-Star Acan’s words, the young militiaman’s spirit lifted:

"But... you said it’s not impossible, meaning there’s a way, right?!"

"There is indeed a way."

The All-Star Acan nodded.

He took a deep breath and said:

"The only one who can nullify the Blood Covenant in the Elf Forest is the Life Goddess, Eve."

"We in the Elf Forest have encountered similar situations before, and legend has it that the Goddess conferred purifying powers to help break the Blood Covenant."

"Therefore... the only option is to pray to the Goddess, hoping for her response."

...

Outside Augus City, in the military camp of the Red Maple Kingdom.

Otto stood on the hillside, sometimes watching the "army" surging towards Augus City, sometimes extending his hand to repeatedly examine a dark gray badge.

The badge was handed to him by Anos; it is a Divine Artifact that can perceive and gather life force and souls within a twenty-kilometer radius and directly sacrifice them to the owner of the artifact, which is the God of Dusk and Sunset, Anos.

However, as he looked at the badge, Otto’s eyebrows gradually furrowed, and a trace of confusion and puzzlement flashed in his eyes.

After pondering for a moment, he looked at the tall, skinny noble behind him, Viscount Wells, the current head of the Wells family:

"Carl, how many people have been sent up?"

Carl’s face was pale, and his gaze towards Otto was filled with fear and reverence. He shivered involuntarily and stammered:

"Your... Your Majesty, about... about twenty thousand..."

Otto slightly furrowed his brow:

"No more people?"

"No... none left... Time is pressing... plus... plus the prisoners we captured, and those villagers from nearby villages, these are all the people over forty years old... The nearby towns and villages are already deserted."

Carl hesitated for a moment and said.

After speaking, he hesitated again and cautiously asked:

"Uh... Your... Your Majesty... isn’t what we’re doing a bit too... too..."

Otto coldly glanced at him:

"Too what?"

Carl opened his mouth but finally swallowed hard:

"Noth... nothing..."

Otto withdrew his gaze and again focused his eyes on the city. When he saw the stagnant battle situation and the far below required life force displayed on the badge, his eyebrows furrowed even deeper.

After pondering for a while, he suddenly spoke:

"Send those young villagers up as well, tell them if they don’t die, their elders will die, and their children will become sacrifices."

Carl was dumbfounded.

He hesitated for a moment and stammered:

"But... but Your Majesty, their elders have already been sent up?"

Otto did not respond to his words but instead coldly glanced at him, making Carl’s heart beat faster.

The High Priest beside him quickly said to him:

"Viscount, those young villagers don’t know their elders have already gone to die, so... if you tell them, they will fight desperately."

Carl opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing, nodded fearfully, and retreated with trepidation.

After a while, there was a commotion again at the front of the battle formation, and a large number of new civilians were pushed forward...

This time, their average age was much younger.

A hint of unrest appeared amongst the civilians, but it was quickly suppressed by the soldiers.

Under the threat of fully armed guards, the civilians picked up swords and once again charged towards Augus City...

The battle ignited once more.

However, gazing at the battle on the distant city walls and holding the emblem glowing with dark light, the Red Maple King Otto’s brows furrowed deeper.

"Strange... the soul power is fine, why is the life force growing so slowly?"

"Could it be that only the sacrifice of a Transcendent’s life will work?"

He muttered in confusion.

Just then, as Otto pondered, a violent wave of energy suddenly emanated from the direction of Augus City...