Chapter 1273: Creasant Republic

Kessa, the Nightmare Conjurer, Yuko, Tasman, and Franklin would handle the conquest of the Tarrant Nation.

Sers, Rancur, and Nostior.

The three of them were elders of the Supreme Council. Only six remained, excluding Freida.

Meanwhile, Erlius and his forces would advance, drawing the attention of those six families.

It was time to act.

There was no need to waste any more time.

Souta’s silhouette faded into the tension-filled air, as if he were not a man walking away... but a calamity advancing toward its next target.

Nostior exhaled deeply and turned to look at his friend.

"When did you surrender to that mons... Realm Lord?" he asked.

He would call Souta a monster but he changed it at the last second. After all, he surrendered to that monster and he should’ve more polite.

...

Meanwhile, at the frontline of the battlefield.

The defensive line of the Tarrant Nation had collapsed. Two Seventh Shackle Realm experts had died, more than a hundred Sixth Shackle Realm experts had fallen, and thousands of lower-level warriors had perished.

The army of the Bodam Kingdom had completely shattered the Tarrant Nation’s defenses.

Bodies were scattered everywhere, and blood dyed the surrounding waters.

"Kill!!"

"Kill those Tarrant scum!!"

"Those fools think they can stand against us?!"

The army of the Bodam Kingdom roared. Their morale surged as they charged toward Aqua Iron City. Breaking through the defensive line had driven their confidence to its peak. They felt as though they could conquer the entire Tarrant Nation.

Far behind the rear lines of the army, three figures stood, gazing at Aqua Iron City with serious expressions.

These three were the highest-ranking officials in the army, comparable to the Supreme Council of the Tarrant Nation. They were also among the strongest experts in the kingdom.

"Did you feel it?"

"Yeah... something happened in Aqua Iron City. The energy fluctuations are unmistakable."

"Even the infamous Black Iron Wavey hasn’t appeared."

The three commanders spoke in low voices. They had been dispatched by the king to personally oversee the war and to ensure that nothing spiraled out of control.

Earlier, they had sensed a sudden burst of energy. It led them to suspect that something had happened to the higher-ups of Aqua Iron City.

"There are no reinforcements... I find that quite suspicious."

"Is something happening within the Tarrant Nation?"

"Probably."

"It’s likely related to the Vasrun Family and the Sea Ape Clan."

Aside from Aqua Iron City, the nearest stronghold was Blue Current City, home to the Vasrun Family and the Sea Ape Clan. Both forces were part of the Supreme Council, which held the highest authority in the entire nation.

"Let me go and check."

"No. We’ll head there together after we conquer Aqua Iron City."

The Supreme Council could not be underestimated. Going there alone would be tantamount to suicide.

"Fine. We’ll get there eventually."

The three fell silent as they watched their army enter Aqua Iron City. There was barely any resistance left, as their experts swiftly eliminated those who tried to fight back.

Many civilians had already evacuated, but some remained in their homes despite their fear. The army of the Bodam Kingdom did not massacre civilians who could not fight back. After all, this land would soon become their territory, and its people would become citizens of the Bodam Kingdom.

The three stood high above the city. There were barely any people below who were aware of their presence on the battlefield.

Suddenly, a presence appeared behind them.

Their eyes widened as they quickly turned around.

"Who’s there?!!"

The moment they saw who it was, they immediately knelt on one knee.

"Your Majesty!!" the three said in unison.

It was Erlius.

Erlius looked at his three subordinates with a deep, unreadable gaze before shifting his attention to Aqua Iron City below.

"Make haste. Today, I want the entire Tarrant Nation to fall. I will appear when the members of the Supreme Council make their move," Erlius said in a low tone.

"Your Majesty, that’s too risky!" one of them immediately protested.

Ending the war in a single day was nearly impossible. It was far too dangerous. There were powerful figures lurking within the Tarrant Nation. From their perspective, this war should take months, not mere hours.

"Do not worry. I have made ample preparations. The Supreme Council will be our opponents," Erlius replied without sparing them a glance.

With his command given, the three hastened their plans to conquer the Tarrant Nation. The army did not linger in Aqua Iron City for long; they quickly marched toward the next city.

...

At the borders of the Bodam Kingdom, a lone figure stood suspended in the sky, his presence pressing down upon the land like an invisible weight. The air trembled. Even the surrounding waters seemed to falter, as if the ocean itself bowed before him.

It was Souta.

His gaze swept across the vast expanse below. First the Bodam Kingdom, then the distant lands of the Tarrant Nation. Kingdoms on the brink of collapse, their fates already sealed.

He exhaled slowly.

Those matters no longer required his hand. His subordinates would finish what he had started. They were strong, strong enough to tear down nations and rebuild them in his image.

Everything was already in motion.

All that remained was...

Souta shifted his gaze forward, his eyes sharpening as if piercing through space itself.

"The Creasant Republic."

A nation perched at the edge of the Depths of Banquet, silent, watchful, and dangerous.

For years, it had stood as the unseen hand that held the Bodam Kingdom and the Tarrant Nation in fragile equilibrium. Because of it, neither side had dared plunge into total war.

So he broke that balance.

The death of the Crown Prince had not been chaos. It had been design. A single, precise fracture that forced the Bodam Kingdom to turn its back on the Republic.

War was never accidental.

Souta slowly raised his hand. The faint clink of metal echoed as his fingers brushed against the bracelet on his wrist.

The [Yin Yang Bracelet].

A universal-grade artifact... and the spark that had ignited the battle at the dungeon’s entrance. Power coiled within it, quiet yet absolute, like a storm waiting beneath still waters.

His eyes darkened. He had seen enough. Learned enough.

The Creasant Republic was no longer an unknown. And soon, it would fall just like the rest.

Swoosh!!

The water exploded beneath Souta’s feet as he kicked off, his body tearing forward like a launched spear. The water shattered behind him, waves collapsing in his wake as he surged forward.

In mere moments, the horizon shifted.

The Creasant Republic came into view.

And there, the Hydro Land City.

A vast metropolis stretched across the seabed, its towering structures rising like a steel tide. Lights shimmered across its surface, reflecting endlessly, as if the entire city was a paradise beneath the ocean.

This was the Republic’s first line of defense, the gateway that stood against all outsiders. The only passage into their domain. Over a million souls resided within it. Half of them were experts. Two stood at the Seventh Shackle Realm. More than fifty had reached the Sixth Shackle Realm. The rest filled the ranks below, forming a dense, unyielding force.

From a single glance, Souta understood that this place was far more fortified than the Tarrant Nation.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

’They won’t surrender...’

A faint, almost imperceptible smile tugged at his lips.

’But I’ll give them the chance.’

Souta bent his knees and vanished.

The water cracked.

Bang!!

In the next instant, he stood high above Hydro Land City, his presence descending like an omen.

Ohm!!

Numerous people in the city couldn’t help but look up. A tremendous pressure suddenly enveloped the entire area, forcing almost everyone to their knees.

"Ugh...!!"

"What is this?!"

"A monster?!"

Ordinary people collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. The pressure felt like an entire mountain pressing down on their backs, as if it were trying to crush them.

A-rank and S-rank experts fared slightly better, but their fate was no different. Before such overwhelming force, they felt like ants staring up at an elephant.

"This pressure... a fifth-stage monster?"

The Shackle Realm experts managed to remain standing, but even their eyes were filled with fear. They clearly understood that the owner of this aura was an extremely powerful fifth-stage monster.

A surge of energy swept across the city, easing the crushing pressure on its people.

Then, a cold voice echoed.

"Who are you? And what are you doing in our territory?"

Two figures radiating intense energy fluctuations appeared above the city. Their power surged wildly, clashing against the descending pressure.

They were the two Seventh Shackle Realm experts of Hydro Land City.

The two stared at the humanoid monster, which radiated an immense amount of energy. Judging by the fluctuations, they could tell that it was only at the initial stage yet the sheer volume of energy it possessed was astronomical.

Shock filled their hearts. This was the first time they had ever encountered this fifth-stage monster within the Depths of Banquet.

They had no recollection of seeing this monster in this place.

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