Chapter 547

Chapter 547: Ethereal Hope

The two from the Pande Empire were very clear about their thoughts.

Surrendering at this moment, at least Karoso would not kill them.

Besides, Aileen is on Karoso’s side, so whether Aileen wins or the current emperor wins, it is all their family’s business.

However…

After this battle, the whole continent’s situation is really going to change.

It is certain that no one can stop Karoso from reaching the top!

This is not just about strength; it also involves Karoso’s intelligence and his big-picture thinking.

Karoso understands very well that he cannot kill all the ninth-tier fighters. If the remaining ones are all from his side after he ascends…

He might become the very dragon he sought to slay.

Politics is about balance.

He will always remember what Osiris said: a good politician can fight fiercely against an enemy one day and then sit down for coffee with them the next day.

Karoso certainly has absolute power, but if he does whatever he wants and has too much desire to kill, who will take care of the seventh and eighth-tier fighters?

He needs his enemies to help him manage things.

Like the story that the netizen told Karoso, if Xiang Yu could use Zhang Han, why doesn’t Karoso have the same courage?

Being a ruler and controlling everything through power, oppressing all, is not the way of a true king.

However, the revenge for the Blackening Card cannot be ignored.

Ivan is already dead, but as long as the Pope lives, the church’s power in this world will always be at its peak.

Neymar pointed her finger at Berdace.

[Name: Ice Finger]

[Category: Spell]

[Star Level: 9]

[Rank: God Card (Fake)]

[Limitations: The God of Wisdom and its Dependent can be used]

[Introduction: This gesture can freeze enemies, and countless pieces of knowledge will appear in their minds]

Whoosh!

A Frozen Arrow pierced through time and space and shot directly into Berdace’s brain.

Berdace felt as if she had grown a new brain, and a terrifying amount of knowledge spread throughout her mind.

All the spells of the God of Wisdom and all the knowledge it contained rampaged through Berdace’s mind.

To give an example, it is like someone who has never studied advanced mathematics, with average ability, reading all the advanced math books in one day and then trying to understand them.

Just reading through all this would take more than a day, and the process could make her head feel like it would explode.

How many people could withstand Neymar’s knowledge infusion?

Even Neymar could only barely absorb this knowledge under the protection of the God of Wisdom. How could an ordinary Tier 9 like Berdace manage to take it in?

Suddenly, her gaze became blank, and she seemed frozen like a block of ice, falling straight downwards.

Splash!

Anson caught her in one swift motion.

"Berdace!" Anson shouted, but Berdace was as still as if she were dead, showing no sign of movement.

This is the power of the gods!

"She can’t handle that much knowledge; her brain has shut down." A bead of cold sweat ran down the Pope’s forehead.

"Neymar…" 『』 completely relaxed.

At this crucial moment, the strongest helper arrived!

Once upon a time, Neymar was always a mascot.

And now, after coming out of the dungeon, Neymar is at the ninth level.

Her potential is not as great as Karoso’s, since she only took a part of the God of Wisdom’s power and is not the true God of Wisdom.

But now, she is definitely the strongest on the battlefield.

Um… that is what others think.

Neymar stands proudly in the air, her fingers trembling.

Her magic power can only keep her in the air; that last spell used all her magic.

She has no choice; Karoso has almost drained her completely, and she doesn’t have much magic left.

"Don’t be afraid of her!" Joseph shouted angrily, "This God of Wisdom doesn’t have that much fighting power!"

"How long has it been since the gods appeared on the continent? Just because you received a bit of their blessing, you call yourself a god?"

"Let’s go together and defeat this god today!"

"Pope, don’t forget, she is also involved with the interests of your Church of Dawn Goddess."

"If we let her grow strong, the Church of Dawn Goddess will be finished!"

[Name: Mental Storm]

[Type: Spell]

[Star Level: 9]

[Grade: Purple Epic]

[Occupational Restriction: wizard, undead wizard]

[**Introduction: To make others act according to your wishes, even stronger people can be affected.**]

**This is the terror of the necromancer; it can control people and make them obey its commands.**

**Even without control, it can have a huge impact.**

**The previous human experiments, like those of the necromancer, were for such power.**

**Originally, Ivan was the best in this area, but unexpectedly, before he could use his skills, he was defeated by Karoso.**

**After all, real combat is not turn-based, and it is not a novel; you cannot take turns slowly leveling up the battle.**

**Both Karoso and the Blackening Card understand the truth that you take advantage of someone’s weakness.**

**The person who stepped back just now instinctively wants to move forward.**

**However, the assassin always appears when she is most needed.**

Suddenly, the figure of Minaret appeared next to Joseph, and he gently sliced a dagger across his neck.

[Name: Assassination]

[Type: Spell]

[Star Level: 9]

[Grade: Blue Rare]

[Occupational Restriction: Thief]

[Description: A simple cut, requiring the utmost skill in the art of assassination to execute.]

While Hercules was distracted by Neymar, Karoso struck again with another cut.

Joseph was completely erased.

Without the hunter’s flare, Sakaski didn’t even have time to react.

"Joseph!" Sakaski’s eyes were filled with rage as he struck Minaret with a powerful punch.

Bang!

Minaret blocked the punch with her dagger and quickly jumped back.

A single hit landed, and she retreated safely.

She was a true assassin, a dancer in the shadows, not a fake assassin wearing a berserker’s skin.

"Sakaski, if you make another move, your nation could be destroyed," Karoso warned as he saw Sakaski wanting to pursue.

Sakaski paused, his face turning from green to white.

Among those present, Sakaski’s two companions were dead, Norma’s partner Diefu was dead, and Gul’dan’s companion was killed by Karoso in the last battle.

It can be said that these people have a deep-seated hatred towards Karoso.

However, they cannot act, they do not dare to act!

Like Karoso, they understand the bigger picture; they fear that their country will be destroyed because of their impulsiveness!

Even though their country is in chaos now, at least the country still exists.

If they die, then everything is truly over.

"No one else is making a move, right? Perfect!" Hercules took a deep breath, "Karoso, let’s have a fight to the death."

"Do you still want to fight?" Karoso gazed at Hercules, "For Teresa’s sake, I can forgive you."

The death of the Blackening Card mainly stems from the Pope and Ivan.

With Ivan dead, the Pope is an obstacle to overthrowing the church, and Karoso still wants to get rid of him.

Whether in public or private, Karoso must kill these two people, not including Hercules.

Now is the time to work together. If Karoso kills Hercules, even if Teresa can understand, there will still be an unbreakable gap between them.

Karoso can see the way Blackening Card looks at Hercules, just like how Karoso used to look at Teresa. They feel a mutual respect, and their feelings are not true hatred.

Similarly, Hercules also respects Blackening Card very much.

"Uncle, stop being so stubborn!" Hyros said, resting his axe on his shoulder. "If you keep this up, I will die with you today!"

Both of them are not young; one is in his seventies and the other has already passed a hundred, yet at this moment, it feels like a young person is speaking to a middle-aged man.

It shows that practicing can help keep one’s mindset young.

"You!" Hercules said with a sharp gaze. "That is the act of a coward."

"I must think of our country!" Hyros gritted his teeth. "Uncle, what are you holding on to?"

Right now, the only one who can join forces with the Church of the Dawn Goddess to fight against Karoso is Hercules alone.

"What am I really holding on to?" Hercules, like a strong bear, stared hard at Hyros, "In this battle, you can choose not to fight, but I cannot choose not to fight."

"Why?" Hyros was confused.

The pros and cons have been made very clear; if Hercules dies here, then Presea’s rise…

You must understand, if Hercules survives, then Presea might become the strongest nation in the world!

With Ivan gone, the strongest ones left are only the Pope, Karoso, and Hercules.

"Because if I back down now, I might never have the chance to become a god," Hercules explained his reason, "Do you remember that battle with his clone?"

Hyros felt dazed for a moment.

Back in the strongman battlefield of the Blackening Card, Hercules fiercely fought against Blackening Card; they exchanged powerful punches, each strike was deadly, trading injuries blow for blow.

The other three helped Hercules, but they still couldn’t defeat the terrifying armored Karoso. Instead, during the fight, the Blackening Card chopped off one of Hercules’s arms.

At that moment, the Blackening Card didn’t mind Hercules attacking him with others. After all, the Blackening Card had magic that was stronger than himself and always thought it was natural for others to attack him.

"He makes me feel so pressured, and this little one in front of me is just like him." Hercules stared at Karoso, "Even with so many people, we still can’t defeat you. Next time, I might not have the courage to fight you again. As long as this weakness in my heart is here, I will never be able to move forward again!"

"For me, this is harder to bear than being killed."

Karoso understood.

This is what makes the strong from the church different from the strong from the nation.

The strong from the church draw their power from God and never think about surpassing Him, while those from the nation, as long as they have no other beliefs, have the desire to become divine.

Although no one has become divine for many years, does that mean people lose their desire to strive for greatness?

Just like in the world of the netizens now, their technology has reached a certain level, and making any breakthrough is incredibly difficult. Yet, there are still countless talented people who keep pushing forward and researching.

Hercules is that kind of person.

Like Tige, he has everything, yet he’s still willing to fight for a small, distant hope.

As for Karoso, he and Hercules are not at their best, but he does not care; when Tige faced hunger, he also brought three other ninth-tier warriors with him.

Clearly, Hercules sees Karoso as a person he must defeat, someone he needs to defeat right away.

Once he returns, he might not have the courage or confidence to fight again.

Moreover, his willingness to join others in attacking Karoso shows that he views Karoso as a stronger opponent, much like how Zhang Fei didn’t mind teaming up with others to challenge Lü Bu.

It can only be said that not everyone thinks about politics; everyone has their own ideas. Some people go with the flow, while others are unique.

Celica and Hercules are the kind of people who have their own thoughts and know what they want to do.

Compared to the country and Presea standing at the top of the world, he cares more about his only hope.

It is possible that, in the eyes of those who understand the big picture, Hercules seems selfish.

However, Karoso can understand such people, and he respects every way of living and choice.

The spirit of dedication cannot be forced upon everyone.

Not just Hercules, but throughout history, no emperor in the world of netizens has been completely unselfish; even the wisest rulers have some desire for immortality.

"Hyros, let me fight!" Hercules said powerfully, "Karoso, I challenge you to a life-and-death battle. Do you accept?"

"Uncle, our country…" Hyros pleaded with a worried face.

Karoso took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Hyros, if Teresa were here, she would surely agree to Master Hercules’s request. I believe she and you will lead Presea to glory."

"I accept this battle."

Karoso stood firm with his sword, "Please."

Hercules took a deep breath and pointed his long sword at Karoso.

Buzz!

His energy rose higher and higher as he swung at Karoso.

Clang!

Karoso stepped forward, his energy also rising, and their swords clashed together.

Karoso stood just over six feet tall, while Hercules was over six and a half feet tall, strong like a bear, and their sizes were very different.

However, with this strike, it was Hercules who was being overpowered.

Surtr’s Absolute Power and Tige’s absolute might!

Hercules could clearly feel that the power of these two forces in front of him was higher than the other, but what was terrifying was his recovery power and fighting spirit, and what was frightening was his vast knowledge!

"Compared to the strength of the people from the North…," the power within Hercules surged to its peak, and a chill surrounded his body.

And Karoso also felt the power of the Eternal Sun rise within him.

One cold, one hot, one big, one small, they began the most primal contest.

Zzzz…

Around the two of them, one space-time rift after another appeared.

Hercules felt that he was so close, just a little bit away, always just a little bit away.

Where is the path to becoming a god?

Some things were clear, while others were blurry…

The Pope saw the two battling fiercely and quietly held a card in his hand.

"If you make a move, I will too." Neymar’s gaze was fixed on the Pope.

The Pope paused for a moment and sighed helplessly.

"I hope that when you reach Acheron, you can enter the cycle of rebirth. I will be waiting for you on the throne, waiting for you to challenge me again."

As soon as Karoso finished speaking, his figure suddenly vanished.

When he reappeared, he was already behind Hercules.

His knife pierced through Hercules’s neck.