Chapter 76

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

Chapter 76: Human Army

After that, the human military was in chaos.

The train did not completely explode, otherwise the simple wall of trees could not resist a self-destructing steel dragon. The problem was only at places like energy transfer stations, where the rare Source of Magic collided with reckless manipulation, causing the energy core near this section of the train to overheat, melt, collapse, and erupt into a bright light, with billowing black smoke rising from the chimneys.

It wasn’t really an explosion; the carriages barely maintained their original shape. The emergency fuel stored at the other end of the train could even make it turn back. However, the magic connection was severed, the magic golems stopped moving on the battlefield, with their raised fists frozen in the air, turning into silent steel statues. The military commanders happened to be gathered in the malfunctioning carriage, and unlike iron that could withstand melting, the human bodies did not have the resilience to continue functioning. Once half-cooked, the military command center was completely scrapped.

Thanks to the organization given to the human military by centuries of war, a sweating mid-level officer took on the responsibility of command upon realizing what had happened. The soldiers defending under the train withdrew to the train, while the remaining technicians activated the emergency equipment, allowing the train to do the only thing it could do now: switch ends and retreat backwards.

The dungeon did not choose to intervene; Tasha deployed her forces for rescue and battlefield cleanup.

The human military had not suffered any significant injuries, but it was no longer necessary to pay the price to eliminate them.

The outskirts of the capital city collapsed, initially mistaken by nearby residents as an earthquake. However, when all the collapse areas were surrounded by the military, this became another untold secret. The dignitaries were awakened from their dreams, the gears that had not run for a long time creaked back into place, the heart of the empire beat frantically, martial law was enforced, and numerous military forces were mobilized.

Two days later, the troops stationed at Ribe Lake evacuated by train, using large amounts of charcoal in the emergency boilers, accompanied by a pungent smell, prominent black smoke, and a terrifying consumption, but they managed to avoid the embarrassment of abandoning the train. The reinforcements rushing towards Tasmanian were quickly recalled, the entire empire’s military began to operate, but not for the dungeon in the southeast corner.

Apart from fervent hawks like General Shirel, to most of the high-ranking officials in the empire, the dungeon in Tasmanian was just a distant nuisance. They seemed like wealthy homeowners living in luxury, idly thinking about rain clouds in the distance, without any intention to move. Even if discussions were initiated, they truly believed that such turmoil would soon be settled, not a cause for concern, and it would not really affect their lives. The collapse of the Source of Magic in the capital city was like a thunderclap in their ears, awakening all those who were sleeping or pretending to be asleep.

The ruler who had been in power for a hundred years suddenly discovered that what they relied on was not everlasting. The upper class who knew the truth were shocked. The source they thought was foolproof was falling apart, and the technicians were working hard to save it, but they were powerless against this huge loophole. Nowadays, all the mechanics are graduates from military academies, most of them are limited to theoretical knowledge, and only a few active-duty personnel usually just repair small magic devices. With the decrease in wars, there were fewer and fewer places where these technicians could be useful. Some soldiers even mocked them as repairmen for the privileged families, which was indeed the case.

The technological level of human magic technicians was declining, and many skills were lost under the management of amateurs. Spellcasters disappeared without a trace in the past witch hunts, and the remaining fortune tellers could only predict basic spells. Where can they find someone skilled enough to repair the magic array left by the Legendary Wizard? The underground palace was a combination of magic technology and magical runes, and repairing it was terrifyingly difficult for the current human empire. That’s why they only dared to station troops on the outskirts of the underground palace; they were afraid of accidentally damaging some part and causing problems to this lost intricate device.

The empire’s enemies do not have such concerns.

The implications of this were even more terrifying. The enemies could penetrate the heart of the empire and destroy the Magic Core left by the archmage, overcoming various traps and safeguards. The disappearance of certain things even suggested that the enemy could retreat entirely. Both scenarios were equally bad. The complacent Aryan ruler was suddenly awakened and drew his sword.

Tasha was not worried about waking the sleeping lion, as the blow that woke it up had temporarily disabled its claws.

The mobilization of the human empire’s forces was not out of anger, but out of fear. Why else would all forces be deployed to guard Aryan’s heart? The thunderous strikes pushed the once lazy arrogance to the other extreme, turning it into cautiousness and fear. The old ruler had lost his sharpness; in the past, he had nothing to lose and could fight valiantly risking his life. Now that he had wealth from across the seas, his life was so precious that he no longer had the thought of risking it all.

The people from the dungeon returned to Ribe Lake.

The atmosphere of this city was very strange. The intimidating steel army that rushed in fled within a few days, leaving behind frightened citizens and the bewildered National Defense Army. The recently empowered National Defense Army looked around in confusion. Some deserted, some resisted passively, and others burnt their armbands and mingled with the citizens, hoping for things to return to normal. The army from the southeast quickly dismantled this feeble resistance. As they entered the human city, cheers could be heard from some partially open windows.

They effortlessly took over the city, and the resistance of the remaining Imperial Army (the local original garrison before the arrival of the city army) was just for show. Upon learning that all captives were safe, they promptly surrendered to the dungeon.

"Thank goodness," someone muttered, getting a kick from their comrade as they realized their words weren’t quite politically correct and quickly fell silent.

The most time-consuming part came when they took over the prison and found it completely overcrowded. In order to detain the newly captured National Defense Army soldiers, they had to release some of the existing prisoners. The soldiers from the southeast corner forced the National Defense Army into cramped cells, causing unrest among the other prisoners who spat at them and cheered for their releasing foreign army.

"You are indeed traitors!" shouted a member of the National Defense Army, with a tragic expression, "Long live Aryan!"

This time, they were not greeted with any hero’s welcome, instead, the surrounding inmates became furious. The guards who knew what this group had done averted their eyes, pretending not to see.

Those imprisoned were not necessarily traitors, did not necessarily understand the concept of a dungeon, and did not necessarily have a fondness for it. They were just cheering that they would no longer suffer. These individuals who were thrown into prison without trial were interrogated one by one later to determine if they were truly guilty. In this period of imprisonment, ninety-nine percent of those imprisoned were unjustly accused, with the unfortunate ones even enduring torture.

Treatment came earlier than the review process. Some prisoners, barely clinging to life, cried uncontrollably upon seeing daylight again. After weeks of torture, many did not survive to see their names cleared.

The informants left in the southeast corner secretly submitted reports, while the relevant authorities tried to rationally assess who had become staunch allies of the past weeks. The informants left behind were more accepted by the citizens as they endured hardships together, making their efforts to calm the citizens more effective. They mingled in the crowds, informing the residents that the imperial military would not return, and there would not be a new round of crackdown in the power transition.

The residents of Ribe Lake cautiously left their hiding places, no longer cowering like startled birds in their nests. As the markets and streets revived from the harsh winter, reliable intelligence from the Aryan Empire’s capital spread throughout the country, reaching Tasmanian. The suppressed anger finally erupted.

Many stones broke the windows of the collaborators, rotten vegetables and smelly eggs were smeared on the doorsteps of those who had been most powerful in the past weeks. The tiger had turned tail and run, those who had relied on its intimidation lost their backing and had to be held accountable for their actions. Even the gentlest individuals raised their fists in hatred and fear, saying enough is enough, demanding retribution from the past aggressors, shouting, "Hold them accountable! Make them pay! Down with these executioners!"

Tasha let the prisoners settle their personal quarrels and vent their anger through graffiti and rotten vegetable throwing in the prison, but she stopped it forcefully before the situation escalated. She publicly interrogated and detained the people who were being attacked, isolating them from the angry mob in this way.

One of them was Little Beard, who lost his wealth and freedom after the trial, but he heaved a sigh of relief. With a face beaten into a pig’s head, he hid angry screams behind the guards. Many people were very unhappy with the preliminary trial results, "He killed Walke! He deserves to go to hell!" The female artist Quintina shouted hoarsely, her eyes turning red, "Why protect him instead?"

"Because of the law, my dear," her sponsor Madame Laura sighed, "We are not like them."

"I didn’t know you still cared about ‘the law’," Victor chuckled.

"Justice in the process," Tasha said briefly.

"Isn’t this unnecessary? Is there any law here that you disagree with and want to continue to exist?" Victor asked curiously and sarcastically, "So you really want to protect those who harmed your property?"

"I’m not protecting them," Tasha said.

The purpose was never to protect these mean people, but the innocent. Their hands should not be stained with blood, anger should not corrupt their souls, and in the end become no different from the ones they loathe. The guilty must receive appropriate punishment, not for revenge, but as a warning to others. She was not going to test human nature, not ready to exploit this kind of fervor. People’s anger may be easy and useful, yet it can also easily spiral out of control, like a source of great contamination.

She didn’t need them to accuse each other, nor did she want her territory to be constantly drained. Only a threatened rule would be busy eliminating threats, while those who are certain of victory will have a longer-term perspective, looking at the big picture as leaders.

"At this point, you remind me of some great rulers I have met," Victor chuckled softly, "You don’t seem to favor any lamb in the flock… quite ruthless, yet the outcome is just as compassionate."

"You overestimate me," Tasha pondered and said, "If Marion were to be murdered, even though I would publicly sentence and claim the perpetrator in custody, in secret, I would ensure that the attacker suffers greatly."

"…"

"The same goes for you," Tasha comforted.

"Who cares!" Victor snorted, reluctantly adding under the unbreakable oath’s demand, "I might, just a tad bit… alright, more than a tad! Is that enough? It’s not funny!"

"Oh. ^_^"

"…"

Many trials would continue, Tasha needed time to cool her anger, mend losses, and digest gains.

This harvest was greater than any before.

The army from the imperial capital came and went quickly at Ribe Lake. They left many small magic devices and treasures like golems and captives behind. These treasures were valuable for the Craftsman Dwarf’s magical knowledge and as a source of labor. But for Tasha, there was something even more important.

The dragon body with wings flew back, carrying loot.

Her wings had black marks on them from a Magic Cannon shot before her departure. Tasha’s right arm was missing and unable to be repaired outside, so she decided to get rid of it. She brought back a magical machine that needed repairs, just like herself.

Marion was waiting for her where she landed, waving from afar, wagging her tail like a fan. Even though the dungeon was her true body, the she-wolf subconsciously treated this mobile body as Tasha herself and was excited as if they were reunited after a long time. She stuck with Tasha all the way to the infirmary, not knowing if she would regret it after treatment started.

Magic could heal Tasha’s body, but if her bones weren’t corrected in time, they would grow twisted. Unable to fix this outside, Tasha had to ask the doctors to break and reset each misaligned bone when she returned.

Human doctors had excellent anatomy knowledge and could easily find the twisted bones. Orc nurses, lacking the finesse to break Tasha’s bones, had to use a Craftsman Dwarf specialty, the magical chainsaw, to saw them gradually. It was a bit troublesome, but better than starting from scratch. Mavis provided anesthesia herbs, numbing the dragon body’s pain completely. The water from the Magic Pool would soon heal the wounds and regrow the right hand, which was very convenient.

Marion didn’t seem to share the sentiment, her ears trembled with the sound of the chainsaw, as if she was the one being sawed. Poor girl. To distract her, Tasha started telling her about her experiences in the imperial capital through the link.

Marion was soon engrossed, particularly enjoying the part about the witches, but feeling a bit lost on the magical technology and dungeon heritage of the capital. She half-understood and asked, "What happened next?"

"It got buried," Tasha said. "The magical circulation collapsed, losing the protection of the enchantments, and the dungeon couldn’t be maintained. When it was first built, the city on the surface probably wasn’t as heavy, with cars going back and forth every day."

"Oh," Marion said, looking impressed even though she didn’t understand what was happening.

The she-wolf didn’t get along well with magic technology. Anything more advanced than a slime lamp would leave her feeling helpless and resistant. If the audience were craftsman dwarves, they would surely be devastated and mourn the lost magic museum.

Tasha felt sorry for herself during the trip to the capital city, feeling like a thief in a dragon’s den wishing she had more hands to steal with—one less hand after all. She consumed a lot of magic stones which surpassed the cost of the war, but devouring the Dungeon Cores would likely make her fall into a deep sleep of evolution, risking being buried underground as the dungeon collapsed before she could escape. Even if Tasha didn’t care much for her body, she didn’t want to end up like the dragons and wizards.

The creations of humans and dwarf magic technology were eventually buried underground in the capital city.

The crystal coffin was intact, but the remains of the wizard inside turned to dust amidst the magic extraction. Ice Crystals could keep bodies fresh for a couple of hundred years, but the magic energy consumed by Tasha drained the bodies of their last value, erasing their existence from the world. The body of the dragon was no different; from a distance, Tasha could tell that there was nothing left worth scavenging.

She left behind the wizards and the dragon, the weapons and the witches. But the treasures she half-stole, half-looted when the humans reacted too slowly, were more valuable than anything else.

Tasha took the Abyssal Factor Detector with her.

This wasn’t part of her plan. In fact, she had taken a part of what seemed like a computer before. But as Tasha was about to leave, she felt drawn to something else. It was protected by a Magic Cannon, emitting subtle magical waves that only Victor could identify its potential function.

"It can detect Abyss Factor across the entire continent," Victor explained. Tasha had a sudden realization and decided to take it with her without hesitation.

Now, the Dwarven craftsmen are not repairing the golem; at Tasha’s request, they are focusing all their energy on studying this device.

"Are you finally planning to find a way to open the Abyss Passage?" exclaimed Victor excitedly.

"You’re thinking too much," Tasha denied.

"Are you shy?" Victor said gleefully.

Tasha looked at him sympathetically and said, "I’m not like you."

What she needs is not to detect the Abyss Factor but to have a powerful effect that covers the entire Aryan.

The ability to cover the entire Aryan with the desired effects can be achieved by integrating the thoroughly researched and improved Red Setter.

Autumn passed amidst conflicts, and the residents of Aryan welcomed a peaceful winter—though this peace seemed as fragile as a thin layer of ice on a winter day. The tense peace lasted for several months, with many things happening beneath the surface.

Ribe Lake completely leaned towards the dungeon; the residents did not discuss it but apparently preferred their current way of life in comparison. Tasmanian’s victories led to more opportunists tacitly approving the spread of dungeon influence, and now the entire Tasmanian is under Tasha’s influence. Seizing the opportunity of a full retreat of human military forces, numerous spies left Tasmanian for different parts of the country.

When spring arrived, the Orcs who failed to leave last year still left from the southeast corner. The Orcs who had experienced war thought deeply and were determined to bring choices and freedom to their fellow Orcs, no matter how difficult it may be.

"This will always be your support," Tasha told them.

The Orc leader, warrior Terence, thanked and bid farewell to them. Marion escorted them to the border. The she-wolf returned in the evening, smiling at Tasha, then ran back to the kitchen to find Mavis.

The Empire didn’t sit idle; the entire nation worked to restore the source. Humans had deep accumulations, so when they felt the crisis, the restoration work continued to progress. Like a broken bottle slowly sticking back together, even if it couldn’t hold as much water as before, the remaining base could still hold some liquid.

More importantly, the higher-ups among humans gradually relaxed from their excessive tension. They realized that even if they were unarmed soldiers facing Aryan’s forces, they still outnumbered those at the southeast corner by far.

At this moment, the magic device Tasha needed was also completed.

"Is it starting now?" Ella asked, the head of the magical technology research group standing by the fully calibrated instrument, excitement overcoming nervousness on their face. The prototype had already shown success in small-scale experiments, and drones were ready to provide feedback from all over at any time. Everything was ready.

Tasha nodded.

The high-power magical device, which could be called an "enhanced bloodline detector," started up in the hands of the Craftsman Dwarf.

A red light shot up into the sky.

People living in the southeast corner of Tasmania looked curiously in that direction. They had been informed a few days ago that there would be a grand demonstration today at this time. Residents of cities, towns, villages, and hamlets looked far into the sky at the brilliance bursting into the clouds, wondering what would happen next. "Are they going to shoot down some birds?" a farmer guessed. The person sitting across from him immediately argued, "There wouldn’t be such a commotion just to shoot a bird, would there?"

Some speculated that this was a kind of rain-seeking ritual, like those Druids who could change the weather. Some suspected it was some sort of attack on the empire. Look, there are ripples spreading above the clouds, the sky seems to have turned into an upside-down ocean, rings of light were spreading out from the pillar of light and moving towards the distant and unclear horizon. People outside of Tasmania were exclaiming in shock as they gazed up at the sky. This phenomenon covered the entire sky like a curtain, spreading to every corner of Aryan.

Then, the light came down.

"Ah! Above your head!"

Phoenix, an orc who stayed in the southeast corner, exclaimed, pointing at the top of her best friend’s head while they were out shopping. The Craftsman Dwarf girl raised her head and saw a small phantom floating above her head. The red light had just suddenly fallen from the clouds, landing on the Craftsman Dwarf’s head, forming a miniature dwarf illusion. The illusionary dwarf hammered on an anvil, the muscles on his arms bulging vividly.

The Craftsman Dwarf widened her mouth in shock for a moment, shook her head vigorously, and started pulling on Phoenix’s arm. Following her finger, Phoenix saw a flying red bird above her head, its beautiful feathers identical to the tuft above her head.

Jacqueline had a fluttering fairy above her head, Mavis saw an elf with pointed ears, Marion saw a mighty white wolf… The advanced lineage detector far surpassed the Red Setter, not only indicating different races but also revealing their origins. People with mixed heritage saw a reflection of their ancestors above their heads, marveling in amazement. Laughter and joy filled the southeast corner for a while.

However, the red light not only covered the southeast corner but also extended beyond Tasmania.

"Not me! Not me!"

The strong thug desperately shook his head in front of his colleagues, with a centaur stomping its hooves on his head. Suspicious glances surrounded him, as the brothel guards saw something appearing above the Orc woman’s head, and then looked at him.

The thin and pale carpenter’s apprentice ran frantically on the main street, with people starting to realize and attempting to stop him on his way. The shadow of a lizardman was spitting out a long tongue above his head, while he tightly covered his mouth, remembering how his mother cried while cutting off his strangely long tongue. Although he had paid the price, he thought despondently, he seemed so different from others and should not have been discovered.

The inconspicuous street vendor hurriedly packed up her bowls, while people looked at her head with a huge phantom in amazement, almost as tall as an adult. When someone approached her, she suddenly stood up, and then people around her noticed that this hunchbacked vendor was terrifyingly tall. She ran, knocking people and objects out of her way, revealing a single eye in the middle of her face in her flying hair.

"Get the hell out of here!"

Shopkeeper Wood shouted loudly, swinging a wooden stick, pushing into the crowd and pulling out the stunned Abigail. Above her head, there was a woman occasionally chuckling, with a palm-sized shadow but exuding a terrifying allure. People kept walking foolishly towards Abigail, while old Wood gasped, pushing away the zombie-like men from his daughter, feeling increasingly powerless.

Suddenly, a wall of air appeared between the shopkeeper’s father-daughter duo and the crowd, pushing everyone away. Edwin stood on the stairs of the inn’s second floor, maintaining a spell gesture, his face even uglier than his frightened niece.

…

The hidden aliens were uncovered, with the government and military (especially those in the capital city) quickly realizing and categorizing this as the method of attracting companions of Tasmarin Hybrid. "They must be crazy," the higher-ups sneered, as the order to hunt down the marked Hybrids was about to be issued.

The drone’s feedback in front of Tasha confirmed that the effect had covered the entire Aryan, Tasha then used the "Increase Volume" skill on the detector.

Suddenly, a red cloud like fire swept across the sky, after which red dots fell rapidly like a shower.

People stopped in their tracks.

The soldiers chasing the Hybrid stopped, the higher-ups giving orders stopped, the onlookers stopped, and even the fleeing outcasts stopped. The red rain continued to fall on more and more people, revealing Orcs, dwarves, gnomes, Hobbits, elves, fairies, mermaids, dragons… all hybrids, whether known or unknown, all the monsters deemed enemies of humanity. The tense atmosphere suddenly stalled, causing confusion among those who had just identified themselves as allies or enemies. As the raindrops became denser, everyone could only open their mouths, staring blankly and bewildered at each other.

Humans could produce a better Red Setter, which clearly had the potential to cover the entire country. So why had they never done it before?

Because in the diverse Aryan, where various races coexist in the Creator’s jest and in the mix of love and hate among the different races, there is simply no such thing as "pure humans."

At this moment when the red rain was falling, the empire that had operated under human supremacy for a hundred years fell into a terrifying silence.

Recruitment of Editors: https://gravitytales.com/recruitment-of-editors/