CHAPTER 544: CHAPTER 1: TO THE EMPIRE_2

They also found the people who had stayed behind shortly before.

They had been placed with golden masks, bound by golden threads to metal frames.

The "Hunters" found their prey, emitting an insect-like hiss.

These were instruments of war, by no means something they and a few muskets could contend with.

The King of Gold was preparing for a war, and on his map, only two kingdoms remained to be conquered.

This war with its disparity in power didn’t last very long; the girl hiding in the recess held her breath, waiting patiently for the sounds of astonishment to dissipate. She saw the massive metallic limbs cross over her head, and the refugees with golden masks were bound on it like spoils, including that elderly woman.

Her head and hands hung weakly, the mask completely obscuring her face, leaving terrifying holes with spikes on her face and head.

It was a punishment for traitors, but the King of Gold was a "merciful" ruler; he wouldn’t execute traitors but give them a chance to amend mistakes—using their brains and bodies to serve the Golden Kingdom eternally.

...

The next day.

"What? You mean your refugee team was utterly defeated, and the servant who always took care of you got captured by the metallic monster?!"

Early in the morning, the signature loud voice pierced through the manor’s doors and windows, drawing the guards’ attention.

What followed was the Baron’s reproach, "Hagrid, I can hear what she’s saying; no need to emphasize it again!"

The Baron looked somber.

Although the girl didn’t explicitly say it, from her few words, it was not difficult to judge that her identity was special, and she had once fled from the capital of Siwalant.

Princess of the Fallen Country?

Such a troublesome identity.

But with his understanding of that place, it wouldn’t be wrong to say it was a fallen country. Their King wore a golden mask and bowed to the King of Gold; the entire transformation process lasted less than three days. In his knowledge, he had never seen a fallen country war end so quickly.

But they could hardly be blamed; most regions were like this.

Those castles existing in the skies completely surpassed their cognition, and with the arrival of golden masks with golden brilliance, people bathed in the radiance accepted the summons of the King of Gold.

Thinking of this, the Baron glanced at the cartoon doll hanging in the window.

It was a Q-version figure of a woman with seven eyes, a three-headed body shape, giving him a thumbs-up and sticking out its tongue, even he, a descendant of Iron-blooded Knight lineage, found it cute.

When this cartoon doll newly arrived in Ximu Town, the manor’s servants and guards were quite fond of it, though they doubted whether such a cute doll could really resist the golden beam radiation?

The Baron had the servants hang the Q-version doll in front of the manor windows as requested, until an accidental night when he discovered the terrifying side of the Q-version doll while getting up one night, when he inadvertently approached the window and saw the doll’s shadow cast outside the manor through the gas lamp.

Wriggling tentacles, vast, seeming like a giant abyssal mouth able to swallow whole the town of Ximu.

He almost collapsed in fright.

That was definitely the most terrifying thing he had seen in his life, even the witch that had threatened Ximu Town couldn’t compare.

He raised the question in a letter to Ethan, and learned that this Q-version doll was named "Shadow Lamp", and the energy it contained was naturally opposed to that of the King of Gold.

"Baron, she said she wants to see Ethan."

Hagrid’s reminder pulled the Baron back to reality.

"I got it, make her comfortable in the manor first, I’ll call Ethan later."

The Baron waved his hand.

"By the way, Baron."

"What now?"

"She said she wants cream baked mushroom pasta and Earl Grey tea with four sugar cubes."

.........

"Old Sen, there’s a call for you."

Just back at the battle command center, Bi’an brought side news from the border through the staff, "A call from Baron Gledin in Ximu Town."

"Senior, I’m applying to take a call!"

Upon hearing this, Ethan raised his hand to apply to the ice-elemental senior, who leaned against the meditation room’s door, arms crossed, expressionless.

On the morning when the King of Gold descended, the ice-elemental senior returned and solemnly delivered an irrefutable command to him.

—You need to practice!

This simple sentence set Ethan on this long course of practice.

Starting at six hours a day, the senior just stood at the meditation room’s door like a wooden statue watching. If he spaced out or inadvertently fell asleep, a stern reminder would tap the back of his head.

As an initial Pokémon, the fire element left with merely a terse "You practice well, leave the Empire affairs to me".

According to the senior and senior sister, before facing the King of Gold, he had to be fully prepared.

Since then, many rumors emerged across the Empire.

For example, some claimed to have seen Ethan ride a mythical bird descending from the sky, others saw him radiating golden light purifying the golden creations attacking the Empire’s borders.

Some even pointed to Ethan sneaking into Empire’s alleys at night, entangling tongues with Lindong for several minutes.

Only the last rumor was true.

Apparently, eyewitness Ms. Luo was retaliated against by unknown individuals on her way home the next day, developing a significant bump on the back of her head.

This showed their vigilance against the King of Gold exceeded even that against the Old Gods; before visiting the three major Old Gods, seniors never stopped him so seriously like now.

And at least on the "recruitment of followers" aspect, the King of Gold’s expansion was far more rapid than the Old Gods, with massive air fortresses capturing cities beyond the Empire and Western Continent within just three days, and Cynthia said this was considered slow progress — before this, no civilization had ever stalemated with the Golden Kingdom for over a week.

Thanks to the appearance of the "Shadow Lamp" technology, nobody anticipated the Old Gods’ followers becoming guiding lights under the King of Gold’s reign.

They possessed a natural immunity to the King of Gold’s radiation, the initial wave virtually had no substantial effect on them, however, with the King of Gold’s fleets following one after another, new golden masks appeared, once the spikes connecting conduits pierced the skin, even the most dedicated follower of the Old Gods would submit to the King of Gold’s will.

To ensure the Western Continent remains free from the King of Gold’s control, Old An temporarily returned to Ophira.

"Go ahead."

The ice element nodded slightly, granting Ethan’s request.

Baron Gledin briefly recounted the incident of Siwalant’s refugee over the phone, indicating a suspected neighboring country’s princess coming here to request their assistance.

And that Princess of the Fallen Country clandestinely brought an artifact that only Ethan could view, Baron Gledin cautioned Ethan over the phone, hoping he remains vigilant, it could be the King of Gold’s ploy.

According to the intelligence from the border, Siwalant’s royal family had all fallen under the King of Gold’s control; he suspected how merely a Princess of the Fallen Country could escape to the Empire’s border.

"Seems like you’ll have to make a trip to Ximu Town."

The sound of electricity sparkled in the air, as the phone hung up, a voltage elemental appeared before Ethan carrying a plastic bag, "Here, a double cream milk and chicken burger meal."

Lately, the electric elemental didn’t remain idle either, taking up the job of delivering food during Ethan’s closed-door cultivation.

However, in his view, Ethan’s cultivation progress was less than smooth.

Perhaps the change of environment could yield surprising effects.

In cultivation strategy, he had differing opinions from the ice elemental, but he understood the ice elemental’s mindset, she wished to minimize risk, if combat were inevitable, then what they needed was a decisive, unstoppable victory.

"Ethan, my friend, what insights have you gained from your recent practice?"

"Honestly, not much."

Ethan lowered his voice to avoid being heard by the ice elemental senior sister, basing his judgment on the skill proficiency panel, post-element ascension, the skill proficiency never improved again, his grasp of the element seemed to have reached the highest level.

You must transform the power of element ascension into your power.

The ice elemental senior sister emphasized this repeatedly to him.

But the key question is, how to achieve it?

As an Elemental Shaper, how should one master those powers without using Elemental Magic?