The Chronicles Of New Havens

Initially, Elizabeth's friends were startled over her decision to change course. They had escaped from one dangerous situation after another and hoped that everything would end with them returning to the kingdom. Who would have thought that Elizabeth would bring them to another battlefield? The three tried persuading her, but she was surprisingly stubborn. Her decision would not change. Gradually, their frustration turned into helplessness. Elizabeth wanted to save someone close to her. This could be considered a turning point for her. If she ran away here, it would forever haunt her. To settle her consciousness, she had to do something! This was Elizabeth's bottom line!

With no options left, they focused on training and honing their skills further. After their adventures in the Xingyuu Empire, they are made painfully aware of their weaknesses. They wanted to become stronger! This feeling was several hundred times stronger for Elizabeth, who understood she was the cause behind everything. Strength was everything in this world. Whether it was one person or an empire, the strong was right and the weak was wrong! That was the cruelty and beauty of the world!

However, there was no way they could improve in such a short time. Perception Realm experts were mighty not because they had broken past human limits. Instead, reaching that realm meant an extraordinary wealth of experience and ability. Much like fish flying out of the ocean, not everyone could break out of the Fundamental Realm. It required a monstrous amount of potential and hard work! Take Sir Winstin for example. His Perception Realm prowess was powerful, but his true weapon was his cunning, willpower, and experience. He had gone through hundreds of deadly situations and prevailed! If someone miraculously reached the peak of Perception Realm like Sir Winstin, they would not exhibit even one hundredth of his power!

Therefore, for Benedict, Shirley, Freon, and Elizabeth, any improvement they could make was minor. Achieving an explosive increase in strength was possible only for top geniuses. Still, that did not mean they were totally fruitless. A sturdy house required a sturdy foundation. For Benedict, Shirley, and Freon, fighting those deadly battles gave them more experience. For Elizabeth, nearly dying ignited her unquenchable willpower. During this time, they thoroughly settled their spirits and minds. After all, they were truly about to enter the brewing storm!

***

Time passed and one day remained before the Alzar fleet arrived. The former battlefield between the Alzar Kingdom and Xingyuu Empire was a mess with thousands of bodies littering the ground. There were so many that blood practically ran in streams. The earth was vividly red. The stretch was so pungent that it made anyone's head swim. The sight was particularly assaulting with bodies brutally mangled and torn apart. Body parts and organs were commonplace with intact bodies rare. Vultures, rats, and maggots slowly set in, feasting on the decaying flesh. If a regular person saw this, they would be sick for weeks. It was that repulsive.

Thankfully, winter had thoroughly descended, blanketing the world into a freezing white embrace. Gone was the vitality of green from the land, replaced with a layer of snow. This helped suppress the repugnant aftermath of the battlefield. The Xingyuu soldiers were busy with transporting the dead. Of course, they ignored the Alzar corpses. They did not deserve their time or respect. The atmosphere was down. Anyone who lingered in this graveyard would find their emotions in turmoil. After all, the amount of death was not little. Although the Xingyuu Empire swept through the Alzar army with indomitable power, it did come at a cost!

The emperor saw everything from afar with immense satisfaction. The most pleased of all was none other than Emperor Lianghu! Winner takes all! It was a near perfect victory for the empire! He could hardly believe it himself. With his hands, he could finally fulfill his vengeance against the Alzar Kingdom! His mind was clouded with an insane hatred. Everything was done for his late wife. Even if he had to cut the earth open or slice the sky apart, he would do so without hesitation. Anyone who stood in his way would die!

Turning his back, he faced two kneeling men. They were bloody, bruised, and weak beyond comparison as if a single breath would kill them. The two looked reminiscent to beggars with their ragged clothes and miserable appearances. Yet, their eyes radiated a strong unbending willpower. A mere gaze from them would reveal their unfathomable inner strength. Even in captivity, they radiated a mighty aura of one who stood at the top. The two were Lord Korogin and Sir Winstin who were captured during the battle!

Emperor Lianghu grunted in irritation. Even when faced with such hopelessness, they did not fall into despair. If looks could kill, they would be dead a thousand times over. He wanted to break them and crush their resistance. He wanted them to fall on their hands and knees to beg for mercy. He wanted them to admit to killing his wife! Back when he captured King Harth, he personally tortured the man to force a confession out. He used every torture method imaginable, but King Harth remained defiant. Eventually, he died without saying a word.

However, deep down inside, Lianghu knew that the Alzar Kingdom was responsible! It was hard to explain in words. It was an extremely deep seeded belief, one that came from his very core. Once that idea set in, it was like fire, raging across his mind and dominating his thoughts. He could not shake the ugly feeling of his wife being killed by his friend. Even without concrete proof, he acted. He started the Second Great Kingdom War like that! Killing his wife was like killing a part of him. To him, everyone in the kingdom was responsible. Everyone deserved to bear the weight of their sins!

But… the truth was different from what he imagined. Lord Korogin knew better than anyone the reasons behind Emperor Lianghu starting the war. Because of that, he understood exactly how ridiculous and insane the emperor was. Killing Empress Mei? For what reason did the Alzar Kingdom have? There was none! Both King Harth and Lord Korogin were ambitious men but were perfectly content with peace. The First Great Kingdom War was simply too devastating. Ending the war was the goal of them both, whether it be peacefully or bloodily. Therefore, Lord Korogin was frustrated. Empress Mei's death truly had nothing to do with the kingdom!