novelraw Chapter 595 - 594 - Siege
Chapter 595 - 594 - Siege
In less than 4 months, the border villages had fallen. It was terrifying the speed at which things fell apart.
The first village that fell was the main supplier of raw ores and crystals. While reserves existed, the nobles foolishly continued to burn through them for their pleasures until the Soulmancers reaped them.
It was only after reinforcements from Orwellia and Requera Empires were decimated by beasts that they all understood how well planned the attack was. Moon Tier aether beasts were normally very rigid in their territories until one got old or a challenger arose.
The very reason trade happened so steadily between the empires was due to that fact.
Now, it was as if there were 2 armies.
One of the beasts happily munching on soldiers and the other slowly swallowing Dar.
Deep in the capital, an ancient array lit up and Shi appeared. She had her hood pulled low but her rich dark robes were the best quality.
She was unsure why Xing let her come to Dar, but they could no longer ignore the situation. All their preparations seemed useless since they focused on the cities, not the ants in the villages.
Her beauty was unparalleled but her coldness was clear to the few men in the room.
"You are the Great Lady Shi?" A fairly young man gulped and asked the question. The blues of his fine robes and the circlet on his head indicated he was the current Emperor. All the leaders were young now after the purge.
"Are you a fool? Do not waste time and report to me the current state of affairs." She was angry at any time away from her brother. That woman could literally be doing anything to him. She had no illusions that Xing only saw them as tools.
The young man paled rather than get angry.
"Yes, we lost contact for some reason after they completed the encirclement. We have various reports but most agree that while there is an organized core, the vast majority of what is coming at us are the animals we had caged up. They actually let them walk around freely!" The incredulity of the man irritated Shi.
Dar had gone off the deep end of human supremacy and it was coming back to bite them. They were far outnumbered by their slaves.
The villages had all fallen due to that fact as somehow the collars failed when attacks started. They also lost contact with each village shortly after the attacks started as well.
"You are isolated from the jade stones but simple teleportation still works. Why have you not requested such reinforcements?" Shi had been curious as Xing had long permitted the use of the arrays but the new Emperor frowned deeply.
"The Orwellian Whore tried to extort me and Requera Emperor is a demon!" Shi knew that but could the idiot not see what was about to happen to his empire?!
Despite its massive size and resources, it was severely undermined due to the reliance on slavery!
Shi felt her temple throb as she suppressed the desire to reap the 3 souls in front of her. They had no competent replacements due to the same issue.
Bastards were enslaved in Dar afterall.
"Let me explain what is going to happen. You will immediately activate the teleportation array to bring in soldiers from all 5 empires, or Mistress Xing has decided to harvest your entire Empire!" Shi was angry but also terrified.
No one truly understood how terrifying Xing could be if she wanted to. It would cost some resources from the Law Binding, but every single soul in an Empire could be purged the same as the family heads over 50 years ago.
The Dar Emperor actually stumbled as he seemed to finally grasp the gravity of his situation. He was just recently at the Sun Tier but the power he held was pathetic compared to the threat over them.
"B-but we have to enslave the unclean!" Shi snapped.
Her hand moved of its own volition and the Emperor paled as a faint blue energy started to leave his body. Shi then waved and the energy snapped back into the Emperor. He was heaving his breath as if he had run up and down mountains but he was alive!
"Do I need to make it any clearer to you? Failure is not acceptable. If the 3 major cities fall, you know your fate!" She whirled and headed back into the teleportation array. She infused her Qi.
It began to light up but then sparked and died.
[Took you long enough to arrive.]
A voice suddenly boomed in all their heads. That was flatly impossible. The defenses of the palace should prevent mental intrusion!
Shi quickly crushed a violet jade stone but there was no response.
[That won't work either. I am afraid no one is going anywhere or talking to anyone other than me.]
Shi quickly checked the collar and bracelets but they burned to the touch like always. Why?! Why would they still work?
[Interesting. You have Law Artifacts on you. I was told those are difficult to make and near useless outside of a Binding. I am afraid I can't affect those too much.]
The 4 broke out in a cold sweat. It was not just a message, but the person was looking at them!
[Since no one is talkative, I will cover the main points. There is now a weaving covering the entirety of Dar Empire. It will never run out of Qi as it is self-sustaining. Its effects should be obvious at the moment.]
Shi looked over and noticed the 3 were confused until one of them began to panic. He was a round man, common in Dar, but a bracelet on his wrist was not working.
"My Soulless, I can't reach my Soulless!" The Emperor and the other man also checked but to the same effect.
[Very good. Correct, your Soulless are now mine. I can't order them yet so no need to panic but when I get closer that will change. I recommend surrender by the way, but that is just wisdom talking.]
"She will never let them surrender, she will reap them if she can't reach me soon!" Shi was not joking. Xing really would kill them all, including Shi.
[Yeah, that does not work anymore either. Look at your dantians.]
Shi quickly looked within and was shocked! Her brand was there but it was dim. It was as if something was siphoning its power away!
[I can't remove them all at once but I can cut off the connection. A Soulmancer can still reap in person, I can't stop that, but remote reaping is off the table. Any questions?]
The mocking tone irritated Shi but the Emperor now looked arrogant at her.
"If you follow the true path, Dar will surrender!" The other 2 idiots nodded and Shi wanted to test her skills right there and then but mocking laughter filled their heads.
[You misunderstand something. I am not here to co opt you into my forces. I am here to rescue the Soulless, free the slaves, and then, just to finish off, kill you all that made such a cruel place to live.]
The voice became cold and Shi felt a shiver.
[You are not like the others.]
She felt the voice was not booming anymore. She nodded barely. She closed her eyes.
[My brother is held by Xing, the true leader of this place! She is in the Core Hall!] Shi waited for punishment but nothing came! She could speak freely! Tears fell down her face.
[You still took souls?] Shi froze but did not deny it.
[She forced me the first time, everyone is forced the first time usually. However, she then trained Linghu and I in proper weaving techniques for some reason.] Shi had never understood why.
[I know why. You will need to be judged but I will ensure a fair trial as much as possible. You are not vile to my senses.]
Shi actually felt hope bloom in her heart for the first time in over 50,000 years.
[If you can free my brother, he has never made a true decision in his life! I swear to Heaven and Earth he was always used as her tool!] Xing had took great pleasure in that. The very reason Linghu was used as a puppet was to demonstrate that skill.
The skie rumbled but nothing else happened.
[Understood.]
The 3 were still talking and Shi realized the person was able to talk in multiple conversations mentally! Such skill and power was rare!
[ENOUGH! You have committed atrocities and live a delusion. Reality is not so kind. Dar Empire will fall in less than a month. Resist, and death will not be kind.]
An emerald glow suddenly rippled over them all and Shi realized it had been there for some time. That was why they took the borders. To make a giant weaving and activate it once enough Qi was accumulated.
"Majesty, what do we do?" The Emperor stared at the corpulent men and then looked to Shi for salvation.
"Great Lady Soulmancer, please help us!" She stared at the kneeling idiot and felt a great weight lift from her shoulders.
"A siege is coming. Fight, or die. The choice is yours." She then swept from the room and prayed to the spirits to watch over her brother.