CHAPTER 117 - QIN SHUANG’S ASCENSION

The Iron Skins outside erupted into a frenzy the moment they sensed Xu Tie’s death. Their God’s fall shattered their faith, a fate far worse than death itself. Stripped of reason, the Iron Skins became relentless war machines, charging blindly toward the place where Xu Tie had drawn his last breath.

Han Wu knew he couldn’t hold them off alone, not even as a Demigod. Grabbing Qin Shuang, he soared into the sky atop the Golden-Crown Thunder Sparrow. The Iron Skins roared beneath them, but none could stop their escape.

After flying for several hundred kilometers, they finally touched down in a ruined town. Qin Shuang had been tending to her wounds during the flight and now looked to Han Wu with cautious curiosity. “So you’re a Demigod now?”

“Yep, a real one,” he confirmed.

In the Rune Civilization, the only difference between a Demigod and a regular being was narrow, defined mainly by possession of a Special Runic Lexicon.

“It seems gold will shine no matter where it is.” Qin Shuang felt a twinge of envy. “Congratulations on becoming a Demigod.”

Han Wu met her gaze. “I know the way to the ancient ruins. I can help you gather more Warfront Essence so you can summon more units. That’ll give you a real chance to enter the ruins. Whether you pass the trial and obtain a Special Runic Lexicon, though, is up to you.”

Qin Shuang nodded, savoring the possibility of becoming a Demigod in the Rune Civilization. Then a shadow crossed her face as she recalled Han Wu had just killed Xu Tie. “Won’t the college punish you for killing Xu Tie? His family will definitely come and seek justice from you.”

Han Wu scoffed. “If I hadn’t killed him, do you think they would have let me live? I’m not worried about their revenge. What concerns me is how harshly the college will punish me.”

Qin Shuang gave a reassuring nod. “Don’t worry. I’ll be your witness. Xu Tie was the one who started it, and he even sent the Rust Demon to kill you. He admitted it himself.”

Han Wu smiled. “We’ll worry about punishment when we get back to the College. Right now, we need to focus on gathering as much Warfront Essence as possible for you.”

Among the five factions, Han Wu had already annihilated the werewolf kingdom, while Xu Tie had crushed the church, the human kingdom, and the minotaur kingdom. Only the elven kingdom remained, but it too teetered on the brink of collapse.

Han Wu had already accepted the elves’ payment and promised to spare them. That left the duo with no choice but to test their luck and scour the wilderness for any remaining source of Warfront Essence.

Qin Shuang heeded his words, and they mounted the Golden-Crown Thunder Sparrow to search the wilderness. They touched down in a mountainous region where Han Wu spotted a large tribe of barbarians. Their massive frames and thick hair made them look less like humans and more like bears standing upright.

Qin Shuang found her target and summoned her units to strike. Though she had only 30,000 Thunder Sparrows left after the battles with Qian Lili and Xu Tie, her forces were still strong enough to take on the barbarians.

In the next instant, lightning split the sky and crashed down in waves, incinerating the enemy where they stood. Han Wu seized the moment to summon his skeleton army and raise the fallen barbarians as undead soldiers. This method efficiently expanded his forces.

He also sent many locusts to scout the surrounding area, hoping to find even more native life forms. While their fighting power remained average, the locusts excelled at scouting. Soon, they discovered another barbarian tribe deeper in the mountains.

The two of them rode Thunder Sparrows to attack the new tribe and claim more Warfront Essence. After the battle, Han Wu commanded his skeletons to raise additional soldiers from the fresh corpses.

This strategy brought great benefits to both. Qin Shuang collected Warfront Essence and rune stones, while Han Wu replenished his skeleton army with the fallen.

Their armies grew quickly as days passed. During one campaign against a barbarian tribe, they even found a rich iron mine.

Iron ores were cheap and abundant, so people rarely bothered to mine them. However, Han Wu was different because he possessed the Refiner. By feeding it iron ore, he could produce valuable Iron Stones. He estimated that the vast iron mine held at least several million tonnes of ore. If he refined it all, he would obtain at least an equal amount of Iron Stones.

Han Wu would never miss a chance to grow his wealth. He commanded some of his skeletons to remain behind and mine the area, telling them he would return one day to collect the ore. Though the skeletons lacked intelligence, they were tireless workers. Each grabbed a weapon and started mining aimlessly.

Concerned about their directionless efforts, Han Wu left 10 Scorching Dwarves to oversee the skeletons before departing to continue expanding his army.

Han Wu and Qin Shuang had been gathering Warfront Essence for ten days when Sun Qingnian finally awoke. After such a long rest, he felt rejuvenated and not as hollow as he had once been.

Han Wu filled him in on everything that had transpired while he had been unconscious. Sun Qingnian listened in shock and sympathy, especially for Princess Jade. She was technically his lover, and hearing that her kingdom had fallen and that she had likely died in the battle weighed heavily on him.

He spat out in anger, “Xu Tie, that bastard. Serves him right.”

Grief quickly turned to alarm when he learned that the Iron Skins had launched an assault on the elven kingdom. During the last crisis, he’d been trapped in the trial and powerless to save Princess Jade. Now, freed from his confinement, he saw a chance to somewhat ease the burden of guilt. Determined to prove to the elf queen that he was no coward, he swiftly rallied his Foxmen and bid the two farewell before rushing toward the elven kingdom.

Meanwhile, Han Wu and Qin Shuang continued their daily work mining and gathering Warfront Essence. After a month, Han Wu had amassed 15 million skeletons. He discovered seven new mines and assigned skeletons to work them around the clock to increase his income.

Thanks to Han Wu’s support, Qin Shuang soon summoned 30 million Thunder Sparrows. Armed with this force and the map Han Wu had provided, she prepared to face the trials within the ruins, confident she would succeed.

After sending her into the ruins, Han Wu grew bored and turned his attention to the affairs of the elven kingdom. Reports reached him that Sun Qingnian had taken decisive action to defend the kingdom against the Iron Skins’ invasion. Without their God, the Iron Skins were scattered like loose sand, easily overwhelmed by the combined assault of Sun Qingnian and the elven forces.

The elf queen was so elated that she proposed to Sun Qingnian before her subjects. Sun Qingnian naturally accepted such a splendid offer and became the first outsider to be crowned king of the elven kingdom. Han Wu arrived just in time for their wedding.

Once crowned, Sun Qingnian started using the elven kingdom’s resources for his own benefit. He openly declared that he had earned them. After all, even prostitutes charged for their services. Sun Qingnian had given not only his body but also his soul, so it was only natural for him to claim the kingdom’s wealth for himself.

The men of the elven kingdom quickly learned from Sun Qingnian and started imitating him. Han Wu only stayed for a few days before he couldn’t stand it anymore. He returned to the wilderness with his skeleton army and continued his hunt for additional resources.

A month later, Han Wu finally saw Qin Shuang emerge from the ruins. As expected, she had passed the month-long trial and ascended into a Demigod. She had fulfilled her dream of becoming a Demigod before enrolling in Imperial College.