Extraordinary Voyage-Chapter 838 - 719: Change of Heaven

Hilus Empire, St. Cruz.

The so-called World Museum, in the Dome Palace where royal power and art are perfectly combined, is currently enveloped by a suffocating low-pressure atmosphere.

Snap! Snap! Snap!...

In the council hall, the exquisite floor made of colorful stone slabs shattered under the riotous Combat Qi Flame, causing even the entire temple to hum and vibrate.

"Hahaha... My Imperial Guardian, my 'Flame Bright Light', my Invincible Fleet!

Galliot, it's Galliot again! It was him at the Battle of Benin, and him again at the Battle of Dierben Castle, I don't want to hear that detestable name ever again!

Send troops, send troops for me! I want to make those foolish Tulip bastards pay a painful price, to ensure that those who dare to resist the Empire live in eternal nightmare!"

All the subjects kept their heads low, yet no one took Philip II's angry words seriously.

The unexpected "Battle of Dierben Castle" had already concluded, with some barely-surviving survivors and the retreating "Death Messenger" having reported back from there.

The Hilus rulers thought they had already overestimated their enemy's strength as much as possible, thoroughly preparing and even using the 'Flame Bright Light' for a sneak attack, believing they could achieve a thunderous victory with overwhelming power.

Yet they never anticipated that the eagerly awaited news turned out to be the total annihilation of their own forces, akin to a bolt from the blue.

The destruction of the Invincible Fleet was secondary; with determination, they could slowly replenish it by scouring the world for ship materials using their global dominance.

But the loss of a Legendary Battleship plus a Titled Knight represented the ruin of a quarter of the Kingdom's peak combat power, a painful loss impossible to fill in the short term.

This doesn't even include the power vacuum it created, having profound impacts on the global landscape.

Ever since the Empire became the Sea Hegemon, it had been facing enemies on all fronts, constantly waging wars over maritime trade benefits, faith, colonies, and territorial expansion on the Source Continent...

For this, they were compelled to maintain a vast military force.

The traditional land army power Sak Empire, the Desert Kingdom Heimar that used to monopolize overland east-west trade, the Iceland National Atrean, and the newly emerged maritime power Phaletis, Hilus's dominance had suppressed the strongest nations on the Old Continent with individual strength.

Naturally, many hated them; they merely dared not speak aloud due to their formidable military power. When military deterrence shows signs of weakness, the undercurrents hidden beneath the surface are almost inevitable.

Now listen to the configuration of the military power of a mere Marquisate of Phaletis:

Three Legendary Battleships (the 'Sea Soul' never appeared, but highly suspicious), three Great Wizards with power not inferior to Titled Knights, a "Dragon Vein" who killed Tier 4 combat power...

Is this the power that a mere remote colony could muster?

Excluding the church forces representing divine power, even among continental kingdoms, entities with equivalent power are extremely rare.

"Ha, who said it was foolproof? Why is everyone silent now? Huh?!"

Philip II's face turned dark, the massive loss almost shaking the very foundation of the Empire's rule; a pain he hadn't felt even when a prince was assassinated.

If the Emperor himself weren't a Great Knight, he would have been so upset as to spit blood.

Even so, after angrily scolding his subjects, his Combat Qi raged, inadvertently toppling his throne with a loud "bang".

Like most rulers following the "Eight Great Virtues" path of "Mercy" and "Justice", Philip II also walked the path of "Justice", yet his situation was quite similar to that of the "Oathbreakers".

As an authoritarian who brooks no opposition, he truly believed that citizens' selfless devotion to the monarch was real justice, and that all nations and colonial peoples accepting the Empire's exploitation was real justice.

Phaletis's slapping of his face wasn't merely a conflict of interest but also a serious clash of beliefs and paths!

"Your Majesty!"

Witnessing this scene, the subjects couldn't help but cry out in alarm, but none dared to move.

The Emperor, however, stared at them like a lion, coldly saying:

"Go, religious reform is complete, and divine power is no longer our constraint.

Go to Celebes Island and contact the Wizards and Extraordinaries there; as long as they're willing to serve me, as the greatest monarch in the world and ruler of more than half of the New Continent, I shall grant them protection, allowing them the right to live under the sun again!"

Philip II's eyes gleamed coldly, for in the Old Continent, Titled Knights indeed represented the core commanding power, but good henchmen weren't necessarily confined to Titled Knights.

Even if he failed once or twice, he would still have a chance to rise again, yet should Phaletis fail once, it would be beyond redemption.

"As you command, Your Majesty!"

But.

The ruler and ministers planning a revenge operation were unaware that an even bigger piece of bad news was already on its way.

...

New Hilus Vice-Kingdom, the capital Huarez located inland on the western coast of the Golden Sea.

"Your Excellency the Vice King, the intelligence about the defeat of the Invincible Fleet has already been sent back, what should we do now?"

Besides Vice King Flavio, the highest authority of the New Continent, messengers from the Vice-Kingdom of New Granada, Vice-Kingdom of Secret Dragon, and Vice-Kingdom of La Plata also arrived in this city.

Originally, they came to show the colony's importance by jointly celebrating for the Imperial Guardian and Invincible Fleet. Yet closest to the frontline, they received that shocking bad news without warning.

Not only was the Empire's dispatched Invincible Fleet, Kingdom Guardian, and Legendary Battleship lost, but also the naval force stationed in the New Continent, already stretched thin.

From Admiral Trevier, captain of the Quasi-Legendary Battleship: Nether River Jellyfish, to Vice Admiral Adonis Auston, captain of the Quasi-Legendary Battleship: Guard Commander, all perished in battle.

Not only did they fail to gain the Empire's support, but they also lost everything they had left. It was as if their lifeline had been cut.

Among them, the New Hilus Vice-Kingdom and the Vice-Kingdom of New Granada, surrounding the Golden Sea, suffered the most severe losses. Signs of instability were faintly emerging within the territories, with slaves numbering almost ten times that of the Hilus People, like ticking time bombs.

Hearing their words, the expressionless Vice King Flavio couldn't help but look out the window.

Huarez was established a hundred years ago, after Hilus pioneers razed the capital of the Azik Empire, Tenochtitlan, and filled a lake back in, creating a large city with a climate ideal for farming.

Nearby were various tropical plantations large and small.

Crack—

A series of loud whip cracks echoed above a group of Atrean slaves' heads, occasionally landing on them, leaving bloody marks.

Unlike in Aiven where subjects could attend literacy classes in the winter to improve themselves, in tropical areas they could still plant flax even in winter; these slaves were practically rejoicing in their never-ending toil.

Moreover, Huarez was originally the heartland of the entire Azik Empire, where most Azik Remnants resided, but after generations of conditioning, they had completely transformed into compliant slaves.

Most of them were submissive, their eyes dull, almost devoid of any spark of life.

Unlike their counterparts who still lived in the forests, hunting for survival, they were destined to repeat their current lives generation after generation until their bloodlines were severed.

"The situation in Huarez is relatively stable. If there's any sign of rebellion among the slaves, we will suppress it in the most brutal way. One person rebels, the whole family is executed immediately. Then urge the homeland to quickly..."

"Hmm? What's that?"

Just as Vice King Flavio was halfway through his speech, he suddenly noticed six golden figures appearing a hundred meters above in the sky, followed by black unidentified objects thrown down from the sky.

Boom! Boom!...

The next moment, flames surged to the sky, sending the watchtowers, gun positions, powder magazines, and barracks of the city's defense system into the air.

Swish, swish, swish...

In the city center, soldiers in Tulip military uniforms emerged through a swarm of emerald-colored butterflies, most rushing towards the city hall and the vice king's residence, while others targeted various key departments.

Bam! Bam! Bam!...

The gunfire reverberated through the streets and alleys of the city.

Moreover.

Not only Huarez but the capitals of all Governor Districts under New Hilus received the same treatment at the same time. Launching Dream Cruise to deploy troops, blooming across the New Hilus Vice-Kingdom.

Aiven's plan was simple. Since Hilus was the first to ignite the war, it was "you start, and I will escalated," mobilizing the Alliance Army to directly seize the New Hilus Colony, claiming the most fertile lands of the Northern New Continent!

This was not a fairy tale of ants devouring an elephant.

Although the New Continent is vast, scholars estimate that before the arrival of Hilus colonizers, there were roughly 50 million Atrean People in the northern continent, and a similar scale in the south.

After a century of slaughter and enslavement, the population had plummeted.

Within the main colony "New Hilus Vice-Kingdom," approximately one million Hilus People lived. Additionally, there were several times more conquered individuals and Anuma Slaves brought and sold here, totaling about 9 million.

That is to say, the total population of the New Hilus Vice-Kingdom exceeded ten million.

Meanwhile, the total population of Aiven's three colonies reached 970,000, with the entire Phaletis Twelve Colonies having a population of 3.2 million, and the remaining allied member colonies, though less than half of Phaletis, brought the total to about 4.7 million.

Though there was a gap compared to the New Hilus Vice-Kingdom, it was not as exaggerated as the gap between ants and elephants. Even with more slaves, they couldn't be deployed on the battlefield during war; perhaps they would retaliate against the "masters" as soon as they got weapons.

With the Creator's Blood ignoring intermediate cultivation processes, the Sky Knight Team had greatly expanded, totaling sixty strong.

The griffin's maximum speed could reach 170 kilometers per hour, carry a payload of up to 300 kilograms, and its endurance was excellent.

With skilled gunmen wielding Alchemy Bombs, even the tallest city walls, or even fortresses designed to counter artillery, were nothing in front of the Sky Knight Team.

The first commander of the Sky Knights, Annie's direct female pirate subordinate, Granny, shouted loudly:

"Hilus People, hear this, by the order of the Marquis, surrender and you'll be spared!"

"Surrender and you'll be spared!"

"..."

This surrender order was shouted with great satisfaction, and as a female knight with a pirate background, who would have thought that she could gloat over the heads of the rulers of the Hilus New Continent?

Casually throwing an Alchemy Bomb, collapsing the towering spire of the city hall, she shouted again:

"The Marquis promises all Atrean People the chance to become free citizens, rise and overthrow the abominable Hilus Empire!"

One by one, the Atrean slaves couldn't help but raise their heads towards the sky, a faint gleam appearing in their black eyes.

In the meeting room.

Even before seeing the enemy's Great Knights appear, Vice King Flavio and the three envoys' faces had turned slightly pale, murmuring: "Phaletis People, is this continent... going to change?"