https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-600-Lanchi-is-About-to-Deliver-a-Victory-Speech-for-Lorlen/12584923/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-602-Loren-is-Writing-an-Immortal-Epic/12584925/
Chapter 601: Loren's Pain is Unbearable
Chapter 601: Loren's Pain is Unbearable
"Today marks the forty-second day since you entered this Shadow World."
"The Honing Empire has not only successfully occupied the neighboring Kingdom of Bliss, but its influence has also infiltrated the Fucro Kingdom and the Kingdom of Idies on its eastern and western flanks. The Pollant Empire is suffering successive defeats on the front lines, losing thirty thousand soldiers and nearly a thousand magic cannons in this campaign. The ports of the northern continental strait have fallen into the hands of the vampire race, and it is an established fact that the Honing Empire will launch a new offensive against our country or its neighbors."
"What's worse, the trust of the parliament in you has plummeted to an all-time low, and in the vote of no-confidence to be held tomorrow, you will likely be impeached."
"This afternoon's speech is your last chance."
"It's do or die, and your fate is now tied to Loren's."
Cat Boss stood on Lanchi's desk, fiddling with his glow tube timer as he delivered the news.
It was noon in the Prime Minister's office of Hellsalem.
With the curtains drawn, the room was dimly lit, and the glow tube timer emitted a saturated orange-red light, like lava illuminating the final countdown.
Lanchi sat alone behind an old-fashioned wooden desk, surrounded by piles of documents and file bags.
"It's indeed time for me to address the Lower House," Lanchi acknowledged.
His face was illuminated by the glow tube on the desk, his thoughts hidden as his gaze seemed to pierce through the direction of the Congressional building.
Two days had passed since his return to the capital, Hellsalem, from the northern border county of Berkinhu, and Lanchi had completed the transition with his double and arranged the final agenda.
The war cabinet's support for the resistance movement was no more, and they were now drafting a peace agreement, even resorting to delaying tactics to temporarily avoid approving the alliance with the demon race.
Lanchi stood up, circled the long table, and retrieved his coat from the hat rack.
Before he could pick up Cat Boss, he took down a box filled with forbidden magic devices from the cabinet on the side of the room.
Inside was a small communication device with a button on top, formed by three holy patterns twisted together.
"Cat, go ahead and press this button."
Lanchi stroked Cat Boss's head as he made the request.
The faint buzzing of the timer echoed in the quiet room, a reminder of the passing of their precious time.
"What is this meow?"
Cat Boss curiously circled the communication device.
"Once you press this button, your contribution to the Shadow World will soar, and you might even get an epic-level reward worthy of your rank."
Lanchi smiled as he explained.
"Meow meow?!"
Cat Boss rolled around happily.
He had thought Lanchi was just trying to cheer him up by mentioning contribution points, but he had actually kept his promise! Lanchi really liked him!
"Really? By pressing it, do I have a chance to get an epic reward?"
After rolling around on the table, Cat Boss asked again, wanting confirmation.
He always felt that the high-level epic card, which was legendary, might be too easy to obtain. After all, he had never dared to dream of getting an epic-level item before!
"Yes, press it, and many will find happiness."
Lanchi nodded and opened a book on the desk, "The Holy Rite Gospel," affirming with certainty.
The concept of the Trinity represents the community of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, which is a community of love.
It reveals that love is the essence of God, and God's love is unconditional, perfect, and eternal.
Followers of the Holy Rite are encouraged to emulate God's love and strive to embody love and harmony.
The concept of the Trinity is also related to the Holy Rite Church's redemption ideology.
The Father sent the Son to save mankind, and the work of the Holy Spirit in individuals and the church contributes to the realization of this redemption plan.
Redemption is a collective action of the entire being of God, aimed at saving mankind.
And this button is the final step towards achieving that great love.
"Meow!"
Without hesitation, Cat Boss raised his paw and pressed the button.
"Then what? What will happen after pressing it?"
Cat Boss asked anxiously, looking around.
He felt that nothing had happened after pressing the button.
With the way Lanchi had spoken mysteriously, he had expected some dramatic change to occur.
"In a certain place in the Honing Empire, ten thousand suns will rise."
Lanchi picked up Cat Boss and spoke to him gently.
"Meow?"
Cat Boss blinked his bright cat eyes.
He didn't understand.
But it didn't matter, as long as he got the reward.
...
Three hours later.
In the present world.
In the heart of the Kingdom of Hutton, at the Old Bri Trial Court along the Ikrit Wall, a building steeped in history was gently brushed by a faint grayish-blue hue of pre-dawn light.
At this moment, the world had not yet fully awakened, but the Old Bri Trial Court stood silently on the edge of time, preparing to welcome a new day's emergency hearing.
There was an approximate twelve-hour time difference between the time zone of the seventh-order Shadow World, the Dark Day Eclipse Demon Realm, and the present world. If it was 5 or 6 in the morning in the present world, it would be 5 or 6 in the evening in the Shadow World.
With less than seventy-two hours remaining in the Shadow World, everything had basically become a done deal.
Inside the courtroom, traditional wooden paneling and heavy red curtains loomed, and the statue of the Goddess of Light and Law stood at the end of the hall, her gaze seemingly fixed on the hearing that was about to unfold.
On this solemn morning, Loren stood alone at the center of the courtroom.
As an eighth-order high priest, he was a frequent visitor to the judgment seat, and his weary and weathered face now bore a rare stubble, adding a touch of worldly charm to his usual gentle and handsome features.
He walked on thin ice.
"There's basically no hope for this seventh-order Shadow World. Forget about one percent, even a mere zero point one percent is out of reach."
"From the footage that Loren's student opened last time, it was complete chaos."
There was hardly any natural light outside the court windows, and the murmurs from the jury seats echoed like whispers of ghosts.
"Today might be the last hearing. Loren, are you ready?"
The sound of the gavel being struck by Judge Akales, the Duke, silenced the discussions, and a deathly hush fell over every corner of the courtroom.
With a gentle wave of Akales' hand, a crystal ball-shaped magical device lit up on one side of the courtroom, projecting the final images from the Shadow World.
Through the thick mist, the outline of the Pollant capital, Hellsalem, could be vaguely seen.
The bells of the Hellsalem Tower rang out in the quiet and tense air, reminding the people of Pollant that the darkest hour had arrived.
The scene then cuts to the Parliament building of the Pollant Empire, where the tense atmosphere was almost palpable.
The politicians were no longer engaged in heated debates, their faces appearing especially solemn under the dim lighting.
In the sky, dark clouds loomed, with occasional glimpses of the Honing Empire's dragon cavalry patrolling the skies, and the streets were already lined with trenches.
This was the last time Loren's student had opened a live feed from the Shadow World—
[Mission Objective 1: Find the key to victory over the Blood Tribe, Complete.]
[Mission Objective 2: Increase the humans' chance of victory over the Blood Tribe to above 1% by the end of the Shadow World, Current Win Rate: 0.0007%.]
[Mission Objective 3: Ensure the survival of all challengers until the 45-day time limit, Current Survivors: 3/3.]
Among these, Mission Objective 1 had been accomplished.
However, the most critical Mission Objective 2 had not only made no progress but had also regressed.
[Status of the Pollant Empire]
[Public Opinion: 586→705/1000 (Support and Unity among the Citizens)]
[Parliament: 175→32/1000 (Support from the Pollant Empire's Higher-ups)]
[Military Strength: 199/1000 (Using the Honing Empire as a Reference)]
[Finance: 325→337/1000 (Current Productivity of the Pollant Empire)]
[Diplomacy: 232/1000 (Relations with the Demon World and the Surrounding Nations that Have Not Yet Surrendered)]
[Overall Win Chance: 0.0007%]
After Lanchi returned to the Pollant Empire, the [Public Opinion] continued to grow steadily, but to no avail.
The [Military Strength], [Finance], and [Diplomacy] remained stagnant.
Most crucially, [Parliament] had dropped below the warning line of one hundred, indicating that the Shadow World had entered an uncontrollable state of rampage.
The win chance plummeted from 0.0074% back to 0.0007%.
Unsurprisingly, Loren's student, left without support, would soon face impeachment, bringing an end to this seventh-order Shadow World. And somewhere in the present world, a terrifying calamity would befall.
"I... understand," Loren said, gazing at the cold projection and taking a deep breath to steady his tumultuous emotions.
"Loren, do you admit that your student, who caused this Shadow World to collapse, is your disciple, and that you bear an inescapable responsibility for his reckless entry and failure?" The Minister of Justice of the Hutton Kingdom, Duke Akales, asked gravely.
"Yes..." Loren replied, his voice thick with emotion.
In truth, Lanchi was not his disciple, but at this moment, he couldn't shift the blame onto the young man. Lanchi couldn't shoulder this responsibility, and he didn't want to ruin the boy's future.
"Everything was done under my instructions," Loren said, lowering his head.
His words seemed to be in contention with reality, each one carrying a weight of a thousand pounds.
"Very well, Loren. Since you've said so, I won't inquire further or elaborate on the cause, process, and outcome. The Joint Investigation Team comprising the South Continent Kingdom United Parliament, the Shadow World Management Association, the South Continent Disaster Prevention Agency, the Hutton Kingdom Security Bureau, and other departments have already produced a detailed investigation report," Duke Akales, the presiding judge, continued.
The conclusion was like a heavy hammer, striking the hearts of those in the courtroom one by one.
The trial bell of the Old Bri Court rang out, the thin light intertwining with the heavy air.
All eyes were on Loren, as if the weight of this hearing rested solely on his shoulders.
At this moment, the entire Hutton Kingdom held its breath, even at this early hour, as the crucial hearing was being broadcast.
Even among the judges and the audience, there were a few concerned gazes directed at him, but these were but a drop in the bucket, unable to turn the tide of public opinion.
On the bench, the Chief Paladin of the Fate Goddess Church, who had come all the way from the Kingdom of Canberra, clenched her hands tightly.
At this moment, she wore a light dress instead of her usual heavy armor, and Loren didn't even recognize her.
"Dear friend..." The Chief Paladin had always believed that her dear friend was a mature and steady individual who wouldn't make such a mistake. Although she wanted to stand up for Loren, as someone carrying the important task of investigating the mysterious cardinal on behalf of the United Parliament of the South Continent Kingdom, she couldn't afford to be partial to her acquaintance at this moment, dragging the entire Fate Goddess Church into this mess.
She struggled internally and turned her head away, no longer looking at Loren.
At this moment, she felt that all was lost, and she sat there, uneasy and anxious.
The hearing drew to a close in the early morning, before the first rays of sunlight, and everything returned to silence.
Just as people thought that a generation of noble high priests would be disgraced here...
The huge outdoor screen in the Hutton Kingdom, which had been broadcasting the morning news, turned black and instead began to play an emergency live feed from a Shadow World.
This attracted a few curious onlookers.
A Shadow World that could be broadcast at this time must be of significant importance.
As the sound drew attention, more and more people in the courtroom looked towards the projection.
Indeed, it was Lanchi once again opening a live feed from the Shadow World.
"This should be the last live broadcast from the Shadow World," someone commented.
"I think Loren's student intends the same," another added.
"Is there any point in struggling for a 0.0007% win rate?" a third person questioned.
The hearing was temporarily suspended, and whispered discussions gradually filled the courtroom and the gallery.
In the projection, the sun was setting, casting its golden rays upon the Hellsarem River, where the water sparkled. Meanwhile, the Parliament building, with its spire shrouded in the evening glow, remained veiled in a layer of unsettling shadow.
The sound of air raid sirens intermittently pierced the tranquil evening, bringing a sense of suspense and uncertainty.
Around the Parliament building, the usually bustling scene had been replaced by heavy military presence and a sparse number of journalists.
Some paused, gazing at the golden glow of the setting sun on the river, while others silently looked up at the Parliament building, praying for the empire.
This afternoon, in the House of Commons of Hellsarem, Prime Minister Wilford would deliver a speech that would be broadcast nationwide.
Three days before the speech, various media outlets had begun enthusiastic reports, and people from all walks of life eagerly awaited this moment.
By now, everyone in the Pollant Empire knew of the Prime Minister's predicament within the war cabinet.
This speech.
Was also dubbed by the media as possibly the Prime Minister's—
last speech.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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