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**Chapter 216: 152. Alicia (Three-in-One, Alliance Leader Extended Update)**
It was just around the weekend morning at the top of Klein Mountain when, with a violent tremor of the ground, a grotesque monster filled with human organs suddenly burrowed up from the earth. Amidst the swirling dust, the twisted creature howled up towards the sky.
“Whoa!”
“Roar!”
“Wail!”
Amidst the chorus of countless mouths, this fearsome monster simultaneously emitted cries reminiscent of women and babies, as if it was weeping to the world. Its terrifying figure, along with its mournful sounds, could be faintly heard in the city center of Saint Nali. If the drivers and workers preoccupied with their livelihoods looked up at that moment, they would easily see the horrific silhouette standing beneath the firmament.
“What is that thing?”
“Is it from Klein Mountain or Nali Lake? It seems to be moving!”
The crowd gathered on the streets, continuously scrutinizing the distant shadow that was barely visible. Initially, they thought it was some kind of fantasy magic experiment by the authorities, or perhaps a rare mirage, but soon, when the monster seemed to determine a direction during its rise, it quickly crouched down and began making its way towards the city center of Saint Nali.
The real and obvious tremors reminded everyone that this was a real, enormous monster.
With its massive body propelled by flesh and organ tissues, every movement it made could be distinctly felt throughout Saint Nali.
Standing about forty meters tall, the monstrous being mercilessly crushed everything in its path, damaging the original roads and landscapes outside Saint Nali. The “Southern Continent Subhuman Protection Association” building constructed by the New Party happened to be directly in its path, and it crushed the shoddy white structure into ruins as if it was invisible.
Fortunately, today was the weekend, so classes at Saint Nali University were not in session. However, even so, many students who remained on campus were present. The staff rang the alarm bell, urgently evacuating students to safety.
“Ugh…”
At the same time, in the distant Royal Academy in the city of Saint Nali, Damien sat in his office, casually wearing a white shirt. The sleeves were barely pushed up to his forearms, and even a couple of buttons at the top had been undone, revealing his vigorous hair and robust muscles.
The headmaster of the Royal Academy wore a solemn expression, holding a half-burnt cigarette in his hand, which had not shed ashes. He stared quietly at his desk, clearly having maintained that pose for quite some time.
“Thud thud.”
A noticeable tremor reverberated, seemingly activating Damien. He slightly turned his gaze towards the black coffee in his cup, which had rippled in layers. He lifted his hand to take a drag from the cigarette, then disposed of it into the trash bin before getting up and leaving his office.
As he stepped out, a usual attendant who worked alongside him rushed in, looking flustered and stammering,
“Something’s wrong, Principal! The Golden Palace seems to be sealed off due to some incident, and something from Klein Mountain or Nali Lake is heading towards Saint Nali. The police are evacuating the crowd; we should find shelter!”
Seeing the attendant drenched in sweat, Damien patted his shoulder and said,
“You go on, no need to worry about me.”
“Please take care of yourself!”
With that, Damien alone passed the attendant and headed outside. The attendant hesitated for a second, bowed to the principal, and ran off in another direction in the courtyard.
It was the weekend, and the Royal Academy had no classes scheduled, but according to the research institute’s regulations, researchers were still required to report for work.
However, Damien had heard that the Pink Pavilion had been burned down in the early hours, which had not only claimed the lives of many ladies working inside but also many researchers from the Royal Academy who were moonlighting there during the rescue.
But Damien did not dwell on this now.
He walked alone through the empty halls of the Royal Academy; outside in the streets, countless citizens were evacuating in an orderly manner under police supervision, while more police were outside the city of Saint Nali, armed with firearms and magic runes, trying to intercept the monster.
In the distance, smoke billowed from the Golden Palace, and many citizens paused to pray for the Godlin Family to continue protecting their safety.
Although they didn’t know what exactly was happening inside, they could faintly sense that after today, Nali would see a change.
With a cigarette dangling from his lips, Damien walked towards the outer regions, moving his aging body in the opposite direction.
He was one of the few who understood what was going on in Saint Nali; probably only he and a few elder members of the Griffin Party were fully aware. Thus, at that moment, the other elders either had long departed to “vacation” away from Saint Nali or were inspecting work in other cities of Nali.
Only Damien remained in Saint Nali.
Truth be told, when his most talented student, Elizabeth, approached him with this plan, Damien could hardly believe how far that gentle princess had come, growing into someone so formidable.
He even remembered their conversation vividly:
“Elizabeth, do you know how many people will die because of this plan?”
“I know, but I’ve tried to perfect it as much as possible and minimize losses. Even if they don’t die now, more will die when Dexter ascends. Mercy and kindness don’t lead troops; you taught me that, and I learned it well during those thirty-three battles.”
At this thought, Damien couldn’t help but close his eyes, praying that he and the Griffin Party’s choice was the right one.
“Home…”
Before long, the swiftly moving strange entity had arrived at the gates of Saint Nali. The police had already lined up police carriages, with all armed police taking cover behind them to form a defensive line.
The officer in charge of the Nali police department, wearing a long hat with a knight’s sword insignia, felt the tremors growing stronger beneath him, staring wide-eyed at the approaching monster, which was rapidly growing larger and larger—forty meters long and twenty meters tall. The horrific flesh monster struggled and squeezed its way across the ground towards Saint Nali.
“Leola, set up a defensive perimeter!”
“Sir, defenses won’t work against this thing—”
“Don’t argue! Use everything available! The army should notice something’s off here soon; our job is to hold it off outside Saint Nali until they arrive!”
The female police chief, who had crossed paths with Fisher before, gritted her teeth, nodded in response, and quickly ran between the carriages, calling on officers to activate the “defensive perimeter” spells.
This magic was initially devised by Nali police to limit suspects’ movements, protect crime scenes, and conduct traffic control. Simply put, it created a movable wall that could reach heights of three to four stories; however, that height seemed insufficient against such a colossal beast.
But as the chief of police had said, that was their duty, even knowing it could be futile.
Leola rode a fine steed, firing her weapon to alert the officers while loudly shouting, “Hurry and set up defenses! Use the carriages as a line! Quickly!”
“Yes!”
As iron pillars embedded with magic runes were driven into the ground, a wall radiating azure light suddenly rose, blocking Anna’s path.
“It’s coming!! Get out of the way!”
Although the horrific giant named Anna looked fearsome, it seemed to lack any desire to attack the small figures obstructing its path, or rather, it didn’t even notice their presence.
It merely stared blankly in one direction and continued to press forward.
Even so, its advance was beyond what the resource-limited Nali police could handle.
As it approached, half of its body was blocked by the defensive magic. Its myriad mouths erupted in intense cries, with many women and infant arms continuously reaching back, trying to overcome the magic that obstructed its movement.
“Wail!”
“Fire!”
The sound of countless firearms erupted thunderously; bullets fired from the guns swiftly embedded into Anna’s body, cracking many exterior organs while a wave of foul odor followed.
“Woo!”
As its wounds erupted across its surface, it seemed infuriated, and the cacophony of cries turned even more frantic.
With its frenzied thrashing, the defensive magic buckled under its pressure, and a line of carriages toppled over, causing many police officers to retreat in fear as they continued to fire.
What was even more terrifying was that the wounds created just moments ago from the officers’ gunfire began to heal in the blink of an eye; these basic attacks were negligible to it, utterly ineffective.
Fortunately, it had no desire to attack these people; otherwise, the losses would have been catastrophic.
“What on earth is that thing?!”
“Commander, you need to leave!”
“No! It’s about to enter the city of Saint Nali. We—”
“Crack!”
But before the police chief could finish his words, Anna had crushed the fragile defensive magic in an instant. The magic runes embedded in the ground shone brightly before shattering, and with the magic broken, the carriages that had been pinned down flew into the air, causing many officers still firing to turn and flee in terror.
“Director, stay here! I’ll try to lure it away and make it give up on entering the city!”
Seeing the monster breach the police’s barriers, and with the army still not arriving, Leola was concerned something had happened within the Golden Palace. She mounted her horse again, raising her weapon towards the creature.
“Home…”
“You monster!”
Leola aimed her firearm at one of the monster’s eyes, and as that eye exploded, the creature’s tail swung, tripping the horses running behind it, causing Leola to tumble several times from the inertia.
Her police hat was knocked off as she angrily punched the ground, wanting to chase after it when she suddenly noticed a figure atop the buildings flanking the monster.
Upon closer inspection, it was a robust elderly man with a head full of white hair!
The man dressed in a white shirt was none other than Damien, the headmaster of the Royal Academy.
Watching the fearsome monster run ahead, Damien took a deep breath, then with a firm gaze, leaped down from the adjacent building directly onto Anna.
“Watch out!”
Leola shouted out loud, but unexpectedly, Damien suddenly drew a pair of gauntlets from his hands mid-air, glinting with a flickering silver light. Upon closer inspection, it was engraved with the magic [Thread Spinner]!
In mid-air, Damien shifted his motion, raising the gauntlet to cast Thread Spinner onto Anna.
He then dashed down along Anna’s contorted body, pulling several strands of the transparent thread that wrapped around nearby buildings.
In this way, strands connecting the buildings to Anna were successively tangled and bound, the final strand being held tightly in Damien’s grip, with the gauntlet now protecting his arms for better strength.
This robust old man quickly reached the ground in Leola’s astonished view, firmly binding the creature in place.
“You… who are you?”
Damien ignored the unfamiliar police chief, gripping the silver thread tightly, breathing heavily while murmuring,
“This might be the only time that rascal Fisher helps me out.”
[Thread Spinner], Fisher’s representative work of magical design.
“Wail wail wail!”
But Anna, finding herself unable to advance, became only more frantic. As countless appendages pushed, she slowly moved towards the front again.
On closer inspection, the buildings wrapped in the strands began to crack, seeming as if they would be torn apart at any moment.
Looking at Damien, his veins were bulging; the white shirt was ripped apart by his robust muscles, his face flushed, yet he grit his teeth, holding the thread tightly without moving.
He painfully turned his gaze at the police beside him, fearing speaking would cause morale to falter, making his voice sound heavy,
“You! Tell me, have the masses evacuated?!”
Leola glanced at the now quiet Saint Nali in the distance and replied,
“There are still two or three coastal districts evacuating; there seems to be an exhibition today, so there are a lot of people there.”
Damien nodded but knew that neither he nor the buildings could hold out much longer.
“Wait, I’ll help you—”
“What help can you offer! Your body looks like it might fall apart at any moment; get away!”
Damien, in his fiery temper, roared at Leola, frightening her into place,
“If you want to help, see if any warships are rushing this way. I can’t hold on much longer.”
Damien’s white shirt was reduced to tatters, and although he was old, his muscular build was stronger than many young people who didn’t care for themselves. Channeling all his potential, Damien let out another roar, physically pulling Anna back a step.
But the enraged Anna refused to yield. It let out a howl to the skies and had evidently noticed the persistent human hindrance from behind, so it manipulated numerous female arms to reach out.
Cold as ice, those arms soon grasped Damien’s body, their fingers exerting force in unison, attempting to drag him entirely into itself!
“This is bad.”
Damien’s face changed color, and just as he was about to act, a charming female voice suddenly echoed from a distance,
“Principal Damien! We’re back!”
As the voice sounded, a fierce wind accompanied by immense force erupted, unleashing a powerful blast on Anna as if bombs were exploding.
Anna staggered in pain, and those arms also released Damien, who, due to inertia, “thudded” onto the ground.
Despite the pain coursing through his old body, Damien felt relieved within.
Standing not far away on the street was a charming young girl, dressed in traditional Nali ladies’ close-fitting hunting attire, her beautiful black hair styled into two short twin ponytails resembling ram’s horns, her figure slender and…
Slim and curvaceous, she held a huge battle axe in her hand, one that was as tall as her body.
Relic, 【Annihilation Battle Axe】.
Damien looked at the delicate and beautiful woman, exhaled, and did not get up, just called out to her from afar,
“Vailly, where’s your grandfather?”
“He’s here, oh dear, Damien, it’s been quite a while since I’ve seen you like this, looking so disheveled. It seems this business trip was really worth it.”
At that moment, behind the delicate young woman, several elderly individuals slowly walked out one after another. The one leading them wore a black robe like a wizard, smiling kindly like an old man sitting by the street, rather than the renowned archmage Heilson recognized by the royal family.
He touched his white beard, smiling broadly, taking every opportunity to tease his old friend.
“Heilson, you old coot, if you can’t talk, just don’t!”
The beautiful girl who had just held the hammer was named Vailly, the only biological granddaughter of the archmage Heilson.
Behind Heilson were several other elderly people, one of whom had a stern expression, with very little hair on his head, but his sharp eyes were like those of a hawk. He quickly surveyed the chaos in Saint Nali, then snorted coldly,
“Hah, I’ve only been gone for a few months, and Saint Nali is in such disarray. What have those people in the Special Affairs Bureau been doing? They should all be sent to work in a pigsty!”
“Mother bless us.”
This man was Marxis, the director of the Special Affairs Bureau, accompanied by a few other elders, including the Archbishop of Saint Nali and two elders from the Magic Association. Together, they formed the strongest negotiating group in Nali’s history.
As previously mentioned, due to the newly improved relations between Nali and Shivali, the border issues certainly required re-negotiation.
Thus, General Barroha, responsible for border defense, specially reported to Godlin the Ninth, inviting these powerful figures to the border to discuss the national boundary, as Shivali would also give a display of strength soon. Little did they expect that such things would happen in the few months they were away.
Heilson clapped his hands, smiling at the elderly people still bickering, saying,
“Enough, enough! If you don’t move soon, next time when I go out to eat with Damien, he might need a wheelchair. Let’s deal with the problem quickly. Since the military hasn’t arrived, we can step in to help them.”
“Right, Grandpa has been saying he wants to introduce me to a good match during this business trip. I’ve been looking forward to it for so long.”
“Cough, cough!”
Upon hearing Vailly mention this, Damien choked like he had swallowed water, hurriedly coughing, as if he could already see Princess Elizabeth with her terrifying aura.
In times like these, one shouldn’t speak recklessly; otherwise, Fisher could get into trouble.
Damien and these old friends knew very well the relationship between Elizabeth and Fisher.
“Wasn’t your granddaughter several hundred pounds before? What kind of witchcraft did you use to help her?”
From a distance, the charming and captivating Vailly and Heilson, who was donning a black robe and putting on a ring, grinned at each other. The resemblance between the grandfather and granddaughter was striking, both laughed in unison, about seven or eight parts alike, which was both amusing and ridiculous.
“I am the archmage appointed by His Majesty; what can possibly challenge me? This time at the border, I specially designed a weight-loss spell for my granddaughter to help her manage her diet. How about that? The effect is quite good, right?”
While Heilson chatted with Damien, his hands didn’t show any sign of slowing down. The ring in his hand, called 【Mark】, rapidly constructed a high-level magic circle in the air.
No magic materials were necessary, and it didn’t even take long, a sixth-tier magic was completed!
“Haha, it is said that in ancient times, humans liked to use this magic for hunting, but I never had much chance to use it. Now, we finally have our opportunity. Everyone, if you have any skills, go ahead. I still have a moment.”
“Hmph.”
Marxis behind him didn’t move, but that Archbishop stepped forward.
The Church of the Mother was very skilled in various enhancement and debuff magics, and most of their relics were the same. Since the doctrines of the church were quite austere, emphasizing a spirit of dedication, this spirit was reflected not only in their daily lives but also in the church’s texts and magics.
“I will trouble Miss Vailly.”
The Archbishop also took out a scroll from his pocket and tossed it. From the scroll, streams of enhancement light flew toward Vailly, illuminating her entirely, while the final ring flew towards the Archbishop himself.
Anna was severely injured by Vailly’s axe, her head practically split in half. After lying there for a long time, she finally recovered and stood up again, only to see Vailly approaching with her giant axe.
“Hey, this guy seems to be able to regenerate?”
“That’s okay, leave it to me. 【Designated Debuff】, I beseech the Mother to strip it of its regeneration capability.”
As the last ring returned to the Archbishop, his face turned serious. He pointed at Anna and sent out that ring. It twisted and changed colors in midair, quickly transforming into a pure black ring that entered Anna’s body, firmly binding her regeneration ability.
“Alright, leave it to me!”
With both hands on the axe, Vailly felt light as a feather and immensely powerful. She rushed several steps forward, raising the giant axe toward Anna,
“Boom!”
A resounding explosion followed, and as a nauseating smell spread, Anna’s enormous body was blown several steps backward and fell painfully to the ground, inflicted with another hideous wound.
“Okay, my magic is ready too.”
Heilson had just completed his magic construction in midair when Marxis, beside him, looked on, bewildered that he could sketch a complete high-tier magic without using any magic materials. Just as he was about to ask, Heilson winked at him, interrupting his casting.
This old rascal.
The cold-faced Marxis grimaced, forcing himself to suppress his curiosity, not wanting to question this mischievous old man.
“Tenth-tier magic, 【Dragon Slayer Spear】.”
Though named a spear, the magic flickered and unleashed deep crimson lightning, terrifying bolts of electricity gathering in Heilson’s hands, until they were compressed into a highly cohesive lightning spear. Of course, Heilson’s old physique couldn’t perform the elegant motion of throwing a spear, so he carelessly tossed the magic away.
But the power of that magic was not to be underestimated. The violent and destructive magic shot toward the distance, forming both 【Lightning】 and 【Destruction】 rings in midair, causing Marxis to change expressions.
“Double-ring magic?!”
“Shh, keep it lowkey, Marxis.”
Enjoying the tease, Heilson childishly pressed down his hand, signaling his companions not to alarm.
But Marxis ignored him; he disliked this overly familiar, smirking old man the most.
“Boom!”
The next moment, that red lightning suddenly pierced through the enormous creature lying on the ground, carrying its massive body skyward. The dark red lightning seemed to shatter the sun in the sky, darkening the heavens in an instant.
Only when the magic dissipated did the sky brighten up again, as if a switch had been turned back on.
“Woo…”
The gigantic creature’s body was crushed by this magic without even feeling pain; its life had ended, and the Archbishop’s spell ensured it could not regenerate, sealing its fate.
At the other end of the street, supported by Sheriff Leola, Damien slowly approached the prominent figures of Nali. Heilson glanced at his muscular physique, touched his fingers, and in an instant, a green light surged into his body, making him feel somewhat better. He then got to the point,
“Speak, what has happened in the past few months while we were away? Why is smoke rising from the Golden Palace, and why is there such a gigantic monster appeared in the city?”
Damien stared at the dissipating creature’s body on the ground, fell into silence for a long while, then sighed,
“Prince Dexter might have…”
Upon hearing this, everyone present, except for Vailly, who stood outside not talking with adults, showed a change in expression.
These individuals were seasoned veterans who had been through two reigns, having started their careers under Godlin VIII. They had seen all kinds of storms; Damien’s words immediately helped them understand the serious situation.
“Buzz, buzz!”
At that moment, a distant steam whistle sounded across the sea, the sound of the whistle overwhelming any civilian vessel, and it wasn’t just one whistle!
After the initial blast, a succession of steam whistles echoed, capturing the attention of the entire populace of Saint Nali.
The elderly figures turned to look, seeing dozens of warships slowly revealing their forms over the horizon, heading toward them.
Simultaneously, radiant golden light burst forth from those countless warships, and in an instant, that light soared into the sky, enveloping the entirety of Saint Nali.
The true blockade had begun.
These bigwigs already knew who had emerged victorious from this royal power struggle, but their expressions varied.
Marxis looked sour; he had once been Dexter’s teacher before resigning.
Although he disdained Dexter’s pretentious character, he still supported a proper transfer of royal power.
Because once the transition wasn’t done properly, it would lead to bloody chaos like today’s.
The Archbishop of the church maintained a bland expression. After all, as long as no one obstructed him from worshipping the Mother or misappropriated his fundraising efforts, he couldn’t care less how others fought.
Logically speaking, Heilson should merely be an outsider; he was too old, already 120 years today, and wouldn’t concern himself too much with these matters.
He merely sighed as he looked at his old friend Damien, hesitated, and finally spoke,
“According to the rules, no faction should interfere in the conflict of the Godlin family. You know this. The Parliament’s power has only just reached its peak today. According to the princess’s strategies, Nali will revert to being solely under the Godlin’s domain, which means the originally balanced tripartite checks will become her one-armed defense against all.”
“Of course, considering how we old folks have been sent away with reasonable excuses, she has made ample preparations for this. But, Damien, is all of this really worth it? We’re already of such an age; we should know to be content. Even if Nali has problems, it should be approached gradually; this drastic measure will cost many lives.”
Damien also felt a tinge of guilt; he was someone who had come from a war-torn era, well aware of the truth that kindness does not gain victory in battle. Yet looking at the sacrificial costs, he couldn’t help but feel saddened.
These people had once been the citizens of Nali he needed to protect in battle, yet now they could easily lose their lives over a single wording in the plans.
Perhaps this was also why Damien didn’t leave Saint Nali like the other Griffin Party veterans; he couldn’t rest easy worrying about the people of Nali.
“…The Griffin Party desperately needs an opportunity. If blame is to be appointed, let it fall on me, Damien.”
“Haha, blame you? Can you handle that blame? Or shall we wait until everything stabilizes and then settle the accounts properly? I need to return to the Special Affairs Bureau to deal with those traitorous scum first, excuse me.”
“I need to go back and pray as well; excuse me.”
Marxis and Archbishop Delrian bid farewell to Heilson and Damien. Damien sat bare-chested like a child who had done something wrong amidst the ruins of a collapsed house, staring blankly at the warships sailing in the distance.
Heilson originally wanted to say something more but, seeing his old friend in such a state, he couldn’t bear to reprimand him, knowing how heavy the pressure Damien was under truly was.
“Ugh! Ugh!”
Just as the atmosphere calmed down a bit, a sudden, clear sound of a baby crying pierced through the quiet street.
Everyone quickly turned their heads toward the source of the sound, only to find that it came from the dissipating creature’s body.
“Be careful, Mr. Heilson!”
Heilson cautiously approached the gradually dissipating creature’s body, seeing the massive organs slowly turning to ashes, until finally only the size of a carriage remained. After the last layer of skin dissolved, a porcelain doll was seen lying in the midst of the flesh, howling toward the sky.
“Oh my god, there’s a baby in its body, and it’s a girl!”
Heilson’s eyes brightened, and he quickly took off his black wizard robe, a royal gift symbolizing his status. He casually used it as a swaddling blanket, carefully wrapping the baby.
“Look, Damien, it’s a baby girl!”
Damien and Vailly hurried over to see the delicate little girl hiding in the blanket. Although she was just a baby at this moment, her eyes were remarkably beautiful, especially after Heilson held her; her cries gradually mellowed into silly smiles.
“Wow, she is so cute! How could there be a baby inside that monster?”
“Mr. Heilson, what if this baby isn’t human?”
Sheriff Leola raised her doubts from behind, but Heilson smiled, gently shaking the baby in his arms,
“Hey, how could she not be human? Look, the shape of her magical circuit is exactly like that of a human, and it’s even stronger than others; she’s great material for a mage. If her soul is that of a human, then what could she be if not human?”
Holding the little girl, Heilson seemed smitten, looking at the porcelain doll-like baby more and more fondly.
“Ah, after I check her out, if there’s no problem, then she will be my granddaughter. By the way, we need to give her a name. What should we name her?”
“I’ll name her; how about Anna?”
This name was among the most common names for girls in Nali, somewhat akin to how boys are often named “Xiao Ming,” and girls “Xiao Hong.”
Heilson gave his granddaughter a disdainful glance, slightly doubting her naming skills.
He pondered for a second, then gently lifted the child, smiling slightly at the new life under the bright sunlight,
“Ah, let’s call her Alicia.”
“Alicia,” a modern transliteration of the ancient Nali word, translates to “hope” or “treasure.”
Just added the seventh update, and now the “Little Cotton-Padded Jacket” boss has become the leader again; this rhythm is going to exhaust me!
I sincerely ask for votes, tips, and support; they are incredibly important to me.
Many thanks for your support!
(End of chapter)
