Then.

Fireworks exploded across the sky.

Well, it wasn't exactly firework.

But the sky bloomed in a glorious light. Many of them.

One after another, the ten Broken Blades came crashing down like meteors from the sky.

Their posture stoic, and they came crashing down like heavenly judgements from Mize's wrath.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Each impact tore through the battlefield, monstrous bodies vaporized the instant they made contact.

The ground caved in beneath them, blasted into jagged craters, while the winds howled and sliced through the surroundings like invisible blades.

And that was only the beginning.

The moment their feet touched the earth, each of the true lords unleashed their own skills.

The skills they possessed weren't random. Mize gave them elemental controls each separately.

Earth.

Wind.

Water.

And even light.

Their hands lit up, and attacks the size of a hill rained down on the monster horde like nuclear warheads.

Some took the shapes of claws, palms, and even giant swords.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

"Roar!!!"

Entire kilometres were flattened in the blink of an eye.

Shrieked of confusion screamed throughout the enemy line.

These mindless beasts formation became loose in an instant, not knowing what was happening, after all, the attacks came too fast, too fast to react.

Stormwinds erupted in spirals, cutting through air and flesh alike.

The ground wasn't spared either, crumbled to pieces in long jagged scars.

The horde reeled under the onslaught, dozens torn apart instantly, and the rest flung like ragdolls beneath the weight of the aftermath.

Then, from above, three figures descended through the clouds.

The true kings.

The first was a man with long green hair flowing behind him, his hands clasped lazily behind his back.

He threw a sideward glance toward the old man and the woman flanking him.

"The glorious breath of being able to live, what a gift we have"

"The creatures beneath us welcomed our presence with such enthusiasm"

He muttered, and the other two nodded with a smile.

"We serve the great creator, the lord... " The old man muttered in a hoarse voice, eyes turning towards the ground, "These unsightly creatures, such an appearance unbefitting for this world"

"Zero resemblance to the Lord's perfect image, filth... "

"Imperfect"

“Shall I make the move?”

The green haired man asked.

“Of course, of course.”

“I wouldn’t mind.”

The woman and the elder replied in turn. Calm, unbothered.

At their word, the green-haired man gave a slight nod and raised his hand.

Alongside this, his voice came out.

"I... am one of the great angels under my lord, the creator"

Boom!

His voice echoed, loud and clear.

With the most casual flick of his fingers, a gust of wind bloomed into the world.

It started small, slow, creeping like a turtle through the sky. A gentle swirl, barely noticeable.

Then, his voice continued, "I... Carry the gift of the wind under the great one mercy!"

"It shall bloom into a blossoming flower for those who stands with us"

"And it also shall bloom into a deadly gale for those who stands against us"

Boom!

A ripple of light exploded in the sky, green.

The wind gained speed. It twisted and climbed, momentum gathering until it erupted into a massive maelstrom, stretching across more than ten kilometres of the sky.

A towering wall of wind, sharp and violent, shadowed the land below.

The spectacle could be seen even from far off, its scale too massive to ignore.

And somewhere near the edge of the battlefield, several kilometres away, a hunched old man stood hidden in the void high above.

His eyes locked onto the sky, watching that windstorm descend.

He gasped sharply.

“T-true kings?"

His heart nearly stopped.

“There’s actually… a true king expert here?”

His voice trembled as he muttered again and again, eyes glued to the ten figures floating in the air, "There's so many true lords too?'

Then his gaze slowly drifted upward, toward the three above them.

His pupils shrank.

“T-true kings… they actually exist!”

His voice cracked in disbelief.

And then, the attack descended.

Accompanied with the Heavenly voice of the green haired man.

"Death to the filth!"

"I, the first of the true angel declare death for this land"

Boom!

The earth screamed under the force. Giant wind blades, crisscrossing and miles long, plummeted with violence.

The horde below had no chance.

Each gust landed, meticulously guided to avoid the nearby shadow summons.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Then, explosions rounded off.

The devastation was apocalyptic.

And a blinding cocoon of light kicked up into the sky.

Everywhere, the light reached and engulfed everything.

The entire monster horde was erased in a heartbeat.

Nothing remained, only torn earth, shredded terrain, and a crater over ten kilometres wide, swallowing the landscape in a dusty void.

As for the surroundings… annihilation.

The once-lush grasslands were gone, replaced by naked, gouged earth. This update is available on NoveI★Fire.net

Deep scars etched the land, claw-like and raw. Dust hung in the air, swirling like a cloak around the aftermath of catastrophe.

“S-such power…” the old man stammered, still watching with widened eyes. He gave the three true kings another wary glance, then turned and bolted.

“I need to warn those old bastards… tell them not to stir up trouble here, or we’re all finished!”

The aftermath still lingered, thick in the air, like heatwaves rising from shattered earth.

Liam’s expression didn’t shift, remaining calm and unreadable. But deep down, he was thoroughly impressed by what Mize had done.

If circumstances allowed, he would’ve liked to unleash his own full strength as well.

But the cost... the backlash of doing so in this place would be far too steep.

So unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn’t risk it.

'I relied too much on numbers that now I am at a disadvantage in terms of high fighting power' He mulled, thoughts turning as he gazed about the beautiful devastation before him.

As for his own people, his generals, his underlings, summoned soldiers, not a single one had truly reached tier 7 strength.

Maybe Harb could be considered a pseudo-tier 7, but even that was just barely scraping the edge.

And he was alone.

Compared to most Awakeners, he was a god like figure. However, compared to equally powerful existence, geniuses, perhaps those who were gifted the will of the heaven and so on, he wasn't much.

For a half-step into tier 7, even clearing out a horde like this would be a monumental task.

Then there was Saka.

Liam had quietly evaluated his strength earlier.

By his estimation, the man sat somewhere around mid-tier 7. A solid combatant, dependable, a worthy general.

Having even one tier 7 under his command was a meaningful gain.

Still, when stacked against Mize’s current force, his own army felt thin… lacking. The thought stirred something deep inside him.

'I am actually getting left behind in her dust' He laughed inwardly, hand grasping against the edge of the armrest, 'This can't be it... It seems I will have to sacrifice more... More... More... '

'Even if I have to dry countless souls as the bargain, then so be it'

'Without strength, I wouldn't be able to protect her'

A gnawing, pulsing urge for more power.

And power… meant points.

His gaze wandered, inevitably, to Mize, still seated calmly in his lap.

Soft. Warm. Relaxed, yet unaware of the gears spinning in his mind.

'I need to do more things to her'

'I need more souls'

'more... Deaths'

These were the only way to earn points right now. Of course, there was

another option.

Mize wasn’t the only woman he could interact with for point gains. His system worked similarly to hers.

All women qualified.

He could form a harem if he wanted to.

But he wouldn’t.

Because he could already imagine it, Mize’s teary-eyed face, watching him touch someone else. It was a scene he didn’t want to see, not even once.

And honestly, he wouldn’t be able to stomach seeing her with another man either. Just the thought made something inside him twist.

Sigh…

His hand moved again.

Another round of gentle touches began. Mize jolted faintly at first, her shoulders flinching.

A warm flush spread across her cheeks, but she didn’t protest. She didn’t even turn around.

'Obedient as always'

Liam smiled.

As for Mize, ber heart pounded lightly in her chest, the heat creeping up her neck as she sat there, cheeks tinged pink.

Not long after, the next wave came crashing down.

Time passed slowly, measured by distant howls and tremors shaking the ground. The portal tore through the air beyond the dome, and revealed the horrifying creatures that lurked inside.

Mize regarded this with a glance, and immediately gave direct orders to her top-tier combat force, resolving each encounter as swiftly and cleanly as possible.

Liam, in turn, signaled Saka to step in. He gave no elaborate instruction, just a nod.

That was enough.

As the hours crawled forward, the clock eventually rolled past 6 p.m. Global time over the interface.

And now, the battlefield lit up like a festival of destruction.

Explosions and streaks of light split the sky as the ten Broken Blades clashed with ten tier 7 monsters from the horde.

Each confrontation was a spectacle, sharp, intense, and violently fast.

Saka, too, was in the thick of it.

He engaged a massive serpent-like creature that hovered through the clouds like a coiled dragon.

Holding a strange twisted sword made out flesh, he swung forward, a huge sword light flashed by.

Blades met fangs.

Spells flared mid-air.

He fought with a balance of long-range casting and brutal close-quarters combat.

Watching him from above, Mize narrowed her eyes, slightly impressed.

'Close combat expert, long range attacks when needed, incredible'

He had taken the dual-path approach, just like the warriors she crafted herself.

Her aggression toward him eased… if only a little. Just a sliver. It didn’t mean she’d drop her guard.

Not yet.

As for the three true kings under her command, they remained stationed in the air, not far from the fray.

Silent watchers. Unshaken presences. Their very existence was enough to stabilize the tide.

This approach was to prepare for any unexpected turn of events, in case...

Meanwhile, Mize’s mental energy had begun recovering, slow, but she's getting there.

Once this event was done, she would turn her attention inward. It was time to focus on her own condition.

Strengthen her body. Find a method for rapidly replenishing her mental energy.

'Now that I think about it, Liam is right'

'The miracle so far was that my body hasn't exploded yet with such a vast amount of mental energy'

'Perhaps this has something to do with the proffesion. But the side effects lingered nonetheless'

For now, though, they had no choice but to focus on the chaos unfolding in front of them.

Time was ticking, closer and closer to the final stretch.

And with it came stronger, fiercer waves.

More tiered monsters appeared, each more outrageous than the last.

At times, even Liam and Mize had to rise from their thrones, eyes narrowing as the sheer absurdity of what was knocking on their doorstep left no room for calm.

The number of tier 7 monsters spiked.

Now, each of Mize’s ten Broken Blades had to face at least two tier 7s head-on, sometimes more.

Below, the battlefield swelled like a tide gone mad. The horde's numbers ballooned with no signs of slowing.

Liam’s fingers moved without pause, endlessly summoning shadows onto the field.

They flickered and surged like waves of smoke, constantly wiped out and reformed again.

“Seventeen million monsters…” Mize muttered under her breath, eyes locked onto the enemy line.

“Thirty-four tier 7s.”

“And hundreds of tier 6s…”

She exhaled sharply, the disbelief settling into her expression. “This is getting insane.”

"Too insane, we can't keep up at this rate"

"It was as if the warp is intentionally targeting us"

Night had long since fallen.

The sky was clear, starlit and calm, but the battlefield below was anything but.

Explosions, roars, spells, and sheer destruction echoed nonstop. Welcome to the introduction stage of the warp, the lord trials, and the begining of a never ending slaughter.

The current wave wasn’t just a single assault, it was a triple stack, layered together like a cruel joke.

It had stretched the battle line across tens of kilometres.

Liam’s troops, though formidable, were spread thin.

Even with all his resources, he could only maintain 7 million summoned shadows at best. Against seventeen million enemies, it was barely a dent.

Gritting her teeth, Mize hesitated whether to let her three true kings to take actions or not. Judging from the current wave, there should be no hidden dangers, no?

But then, Liam's firm hand gently patted her head, and his soothing voice eased her heart, "Don't worry, let them stay on the side for now in case anything happens"

Hearing this, Mize bit her lower lips, and nodded with a humm.

However, she had gathered more than enough mental energy to do something else too.

"Let me help you in numbers"

"Are you sure?" Liam gave her a look, "Don't overdrawn yourself"

Nodding back.

With a swift gesture, she called forth 5 million of crude tree guards across the plains. In an instant, huge towering trees sprouted from the ground like mushrooms after the rain.

In seconds, these trees shifted and contorted, splitting into a tiny version of tree guard, numerous of them.

Easily 2 to 3 meters tall, simple appearance.

Each one only tier 2, but she gave them all a singular command: self-destruct if overwhelmed.

Her mental energy reserves, which had slowly been creeping back up, were drained again.

"Still, more than enough to fight in case of emergency" she roughly checked her mental tank which now dropped around 3-4 left for use.

She kept things under control.

Still, the situation pressed harder.

Hesitating again, Mize sent out one of the three true king to strike from the enemy side.

Two of her three tier 8s were stationed around to protect the situation.

Then, the true king tore through the enemy ranks like farmers swinging scythes through golden fields, carving massive gaps with each movement.

Pah.

She let out a heavy breath, shoulders slackened.

Her limbs ached.

Her legion had taken losses, noticeable ones, but overall, the frontline was holding.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Above, the Broken Blades danced through the sky, clashing with tier 7 monsters in brutal, breathtaking combat.

Mize floated to the side silently for a moment, mind spinning, thoughts pulling her back to the dungeon.

Should I call the clones?

They were tucked away inside the dungeon.

Bringing them out could stabilize the entire battlefield instantly.

She knew that. But one thing kept her fingers from moving.

Liam.

Could he tell?

If he realized the clones were her, even if they were in disguise, that could spell disaster.

Her system had warned her.

Strictly. Never reveal the clones to Liam, not now, not even later. If he found out, if he sensed something off...

She bit her lip.

Desperate, she asked the system for help in regard to this issue.

However, the answer was still the same.

[Host, the risks are too great in case the clones identity were exposed to the villain]

[Even if a shielding skill can be created to hide the truth, the risk still exists]

[It seems the Villain possessed a way to identify a person identity not through appearance, but through soul]

'then, how about a soul shielding skill? Is It feasible?'

[Negative, the host's soul is bounded to the Villain through the Lord partnership contract. If this plan proceeded, the villain will notice the sudden changes]

'Damn it's, she cursed inwardly, trying to dig out another plan from the tangle of her thoughts.

[There's a method, host. But the current situation doesn't allow it]

'It's okay, we will talk about this later'

Liam, meanwhile, remained still beside her.

His breathing steady. Face unreadable. Not a single crack in his calm.

But she could feel it . He wasn’t unaffected. He was just hiding it better.

This event has cost them a lot, mentally, physically. So much for the absolute neutrality of any negative states, Mize mused inwardly, 'After all, the skill is bounded to the territory tier, and the current mental fatigue that I am experiencing is way beyond it's

Turning her gaze, she hesitated.

Then... her voice broke the silence.

“Maybe we should just give up?” Mize blurted suddenly, fingers fidgeted as she floated on the side.

Her voice was soft, but her eyes tracked the battlefield below, nervous, unsettled.

“We’re already ranked number one. Why push ourselves this far? The top prize is already in the bag.”

As she spoke, she flicked her fingers and pulled up the global rankings.

Sure enough, there it was.

First place. Locked.

Almost every other lord had stopped participating yesterday. Only the second and third spots still showed some signs of movement. The rest? Frozen since the last wave.

Mize stared at the list quietly, her brows furrowed.

Was this really worth it?