Chapter 321: The Eternal Realm's Eternal Struggle (3)
This was the land of the Nuo Kingdom—a realm where every kind of law, from the most fundamental principles to the grandest cosmic edicts, held sway. The effects of these laws were vast: from the tiniest spark of life, the sudden burst of microscopic energy, to the colossal transformation of entire continents, even the reshaping of reality itself. In a very real sense, a nation’s law could mirror and even dictate the very rhythm of life across its lands.
The Northern Lands, however, stood at the heart of the Eternal Realm—its most sacred and strategic position, far removed from the center of lawcraft. For centuries, the Nuo Kingdom had remained on the fringes of the so-called "Civilized World," existing in the early phase of societal development. They had endured the relentless pressures of war, constantly forced to adapt and survive through the chaos of conflict. Without external invasion, without the pressure of foreign force, the Northern Lands might have continued this fragile balance for another hundred years.
Though these people were still human, their spirit and culture had long since evolved. They were no longer mere humans, but had grown deeply entangled with the ancient, powerful lifeforms—beings such as the Soul Devourers, monsters of immense scale. Yet, despite this, they had failed to forge a true elite force, a disciplined and advanced military capable of confronting such threats.
On the ground, the Nuo Kingdom’s weapons and armor were as standard as any ordinary nation’s—simple, practical, and mass-produced. They were crafted with precision, each one aligned perfectly with the others, forming a seamless line of defense. But in the skies above, things were different. The two-legged lifeforms—beings like the Aerial Serpents—had already begun to dominate the air, their numbers steadily increasing. Under the continuous influence of lifeform evolution, they had begun to break through the limits of space and time, flying through the sky, soaring ahead of the rest, making the very atmosphere tremble.
The lifeforms’ physical forms, the sky-dwelling creatures’ movements—unrelenting, ever-expanding, like a heartbeat pulsing in the void. The sky itself had become a single, vast heart, beating in rhythm with the lifeforms’ existence, and its rhythm would soon bring forth a new wave of life, a storm of creation and destruction.
“Red!” A crimson flash streaked through the sky, a blade of wind slicing downward, cutting across the horizon. The blade’s edge glowed faintly as it descended, cleaving through the air above the Nuo Kingdom’s boundary line.
Meanwhile, the Nuo Kingdom’s war machines and lifeform-armor units would surge forward with incredible speed, their movements synchronized by the law. They would form a line, advancing with the precision of a single organism, their movements creating a sweeping wave of destruction. The air would ripple with the force of their charge, forming a visible boundary line in the sky—a line that could be seen, felt, and even fought against.
In this kind of warfare, even with the support of sky-dwelling lifeforms, even with the help of the elite force’s commanding presence, the boundary line remained unyielding—undeniably strong. It was clear to all that the Nuo Kingdom’s defensive line had already been breached. Every human with even a modicum of awareness could see it—the kingdom had already been exposed to the outer world for nearly a decade, and the threat was no longer theoretical.
But as a high-ranking commander, the special commander could not ignore this. He had long observed the Nuo Kingdom’s elite force, their movements, their formations—how they had begun to shift from one battlefield to another, conducting what they called “Operation Silent Mask.” This operation had severed all communication with the outside world, and they had become isolated, disconnected from the rest of the realm.
Even more troubling was the fact that the Nuo Kingdom’s elite force still operated from a single, isolated point, conducting limited operations. They had already begun to implement “Operation Silent Mask,” cutting off all external contact and isolating themselves completely. The kingdom’s elite force had become too focused on internal matters, and their ability to respond to the outside world had diminished.
Still, there were smaller units within the Nuo Kingdom that continued to carry out covert operations—scouting missions deep into enemy territory, gathering intelligence, and executing surprise strikes. Their sequences were precise, their tactics ruthless. Their efforts were essential, but the commander knew it wasn’t enough.
“Not—”
“Not like this anymore.”
“I must act now.”
The commander, a man of great strength and resolve, remembered the time long ago when he had stood at the edge of the Nuo Kingdom’s boundary, facing the unknown. He had once been a simple elite soldier, unimportant, unnoticed. But through fate and sheer will, he had risen to become one of the kingdom’s most powerful figures. He had even been granted the title of “General of the Heavens.”
But he knew that even with such power, he could not defy the final outcome. The truth was, the Nuo Kingdom had already been changed—irrevocably. The kingdom had already been exposed to the outer world, and the truth could no longer be hidden. Yet, even so, the final outcome remained uncertain.
But the commander, the special commander, knew that change had to come—not through violence, not through war, but through understanding. The transformation must be gradual, natural, a shift in mindset. The Northern Lands must become the center of a new world order, not through conquest, but through evolution. This change could not be forced, nor could it be imposed by force. It had to come from within, like a seed growing into a tree.
Now, standing at the edge of the Upper Layer, the commander looked up. He raised his hand, summoning the wind. His spirit aura surged, heavy with power, as the air around him trembled. He saw the faces of the people—familiar, determined, full of hope. The wind carried his voice across the sky.
“For the glory of the Nuo Kingdom!”
“For the survival of the human race!”
Nine figures emerged from the clouds, their bodies glowing faintly as they descended. They moved in perfect harmony, their movements synchronized with the commander’s will. They flew toward the distant human fortress, the direction of the Nuo Kingdom’s main front.
On the battlefield below, the sky was already trembling. The Soul Eye pulsed like a living heart, its light flowing through the air like a river. But the commander and his allies moved forward, unyielding, their presence unmatched. Even as the sky trembled, they pressed on.
—
The battlefield ahead was silent. The war machines stood still, their weapons poised.
A sudden explosion—
A thunderous roar—
The ground trembled as lifeform beasts erupted from the earth, their bodies covered in jagged armor.
“Hah!”
“Red!”
As the shockwave and the roar echoed through the sky, the lifeforms descended, their bodies forming a wall of destruction. One of them, a massive, armored figure, opened its mouth—its face revealing a glowing, pulsing core.
“Hah hah hah hah!”
“Battle! Fight!”
The lifeform roared, its massive body casting a shadow over the battlefield. Its eyes glowed with a fiery light, and its limbs crackled with energy. The commander, standing tall, raised his hand.
“I am not a man,” he said, “but a force of will. I am not a soldier, but a storm.”
His body shimmered, and the transformation began. His form twisted, his limbs growing longer, his eyes blazing with a light that could pierce through the sky. The aura around him surged—powerful, overwhelming.
He was no longer just a man. He was a god.
In his hand, the Soul Core pulsed, glowing with energy. The lifeform beasts, their bodies armored with ancient power, their minds driven by instinct, charged forward. But the commander stood firm.
He was no longer a mere human. He was the storm itself.
He stepped forward, and the ground cracked beneath his feet.
The lifeform beasts roared, but they could not stop him.
He was the one who would shape the future.
The sky trembled.
The earth shook.
And the world would never be the same again.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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