The Monster is Coming

Chapter 404 Give Yourself Some Dignity

The situation was urgent, and the young monk dared not delay for even a moment.

He decisively turned his head to look at the guiding water sphere floating beside him:
"Brother Guide, please help me. I need detailed information about this faction."

When questioned, the guide remained somewhat impatient, and with a wave of his hand, a screen of light appeared.

In the center of the image is a humanoid life form with lifeless bluish-gray skin and hair that consists of countless twisting, writhing, living snakes, hissing and flicking their tongues.

Its most striking feature is its pair of eyes, which have no pupils and are entirely composed of a pale white color.

This race is called the Gogong, and their social structure is a matriarchal clan. They possess a racial talent called "Stone Condensation," which can be understood as a curse-like ability. They can transmit this energy through mental projection, rapidly petrifying any living being that comes into contact with it... This was once a spell, but through long years of use and refinement, this ability has long since become a life-inherited mark, part of the race's innate talent, something they are born with, as natural as breathing...

Following the instructions and explanations.

The scene shifts to show this creature hunting in the woods.

When they move, their lower bodies fuse together to form a strong snake tail, which meanders forward at an extremely fast speed.

The figure of a Spirit Breath warrior flashed at the edge of the screen. After only a moment of eye contact with that pale gaze, his body rapidly turned gray and stiffened from the point of contact, turning into a terrified stone statue in the blink of an eye. Then, he was easily shattered into dust by a sweeping snake tail.

But the hunt is not over yet.

This was a massacre caused by an unequal disparity in strength.

All the tactics and coordination of the Spirit Breath Clan's elite squad were rendered powerless in the face of the innate abilities of this Gogong Clan creature.

In the end, only the three Spirit Warriors who were furthest away, in the instant their companions risked their lives, did not hesitate to burn their life essence to activate the costly Super Beast Secret Technique, transforming into three streaks of blood light, and narrowly escaped from that desolate wasteland, bringing back the bad news.

The image on the light screen slowly faded away.

The water balloon lazily added:
[And that's it, 33 points of sacrificial power have been deducted from your account as a reward for providing intelligence.]

After speaking, he closed his eyes.

Through the guidance, the little mage clearly understood the intensity of this force's war.

The highest combat power level of the Gogong tribe is 257, and the average comprehensive combat power level of the tribe is 89. This is obviously not a tribe that the Lingxi tribe can compete with.

If a full-scale war were to break out, the Spirit Breath Clan would inevitably be suppressed in one-sided terms.

Feeling immediately overwhelmed, he began to quickly think of how to solve the problem.

Before him, there was a feasible reference case.

A well-known forum player, "Rebirth Bro," once faced the risk of failing a hidden quest.

Its mission at the time was probably to protect a force called the "Dragonwing Clan" from being conquered by other races.

However, the invading forces were simply beyond what Rebirth Bro could contend with.

In order to complete the mission, Rebirth Bro chose to seek help from the three joint guilds at the village entrance battlefield.

It's unclear exactly how he sought help, but the result was that Rebirth Bro, with the support of his fellow villagers, managed to activate the hidden quest of "protecting the Dragonwing Clan."

The same applies to this crisis.

With the help of fellow villagers, the Goguryeo ethnic group is clearly not facing a problem.

Under the leadership of the God King, the battle-hardened Divine Hall Guild was more than capable of crushing the Gogong Clan to the ground.

But Rebirth Bro's "calling for help" mode is something he is destined to be unable to replicate.

Back in the Spirit Breath Small World, those who made enemies with him were all top player teams who had escaped the pursuit of the Spirit Breath Legion.

They can be said to be at the very top of the player pyramid, and many of them are members of the Divine Hall or even other top guilds.

They didn't die at the hands of the Spirit Breath Legion, but he "wiped them all out" under the guise of distributing benefits.

If its request for help is posted on the forum, perhaps several carloads of fellow villagers will come from afar.

But it might not necessarily be an aid; more likely, it would be an attack or beating.

They might wipe out the Spirit Breath Clan first, then imprison him in Emperor Tomb Village and give him a title, preventing him from ever leaving the village again.

Therefore, seeking help from fellow villagers is highly unlikely, and he must find a way to solve this problem himself.

As his thoughts raced, the little mage slowly furrowed his brow.

Presumably, the Gogong tribe's investigative forces will arrive soon, and war could break out at any time.

Lingxi City's still-developing urban defense system will not last long before it is torn apart.

He deduced various plans.
But it seems that all the solutions ultimately point to the same result.

The huge gap in combat power is an insurmountable mountain.

Failure seems to be only a matter of time.

The price of failure would be the slaughter, petrification, and devouring of eight million people, and all that he had painstakingly built up over a year and a half would be reduced to nothing.

As his thoughts raced, the little mage turned his gaze to the player forum.

Perhaps we can find inspiration for defeating the Gogong people there.

……

Meanwhile, the main city of the Gogong tribe: Shichao.

This is a nest city built of pale giant bones and hardened resin, perpetually shrouded in a white, poisonous fog.

Inside the heart of the city, in the main hall of the Mother Nest, the supreme ruler, the Serpent Mother, sits atop a small hill made of twisted stone statues of various creatures.

Its form is larger and more imposing than other members of the Gogong tribe.

Its bluish-gray skin was covered with dark gold patterns, and at the top of its writhing snake hair was a snake head that kept opening and closing, revealing sharp fangs.

The pale, pupil-less eyes were lowered, listening to the report from a scout crawling on the ground below.

The scout trembled slightly, not from fear of the Serpent Mother, but from the lingering unease of witnessing the brief skirmish from afar:
“Great Serpent Mother, one of our patrol teams discovered an alien squad at the edge of the Black Miasma Forest and a conflict broke out. The other side resisted fiercely, but their combat strength was not high. The power of stone condensation was very effective, and most of the targets were quickly turned into stone statues. However, in the end, three aliens escaped using some kind of blood escape technique that burned blood energy. Our warriors were unable to intercept them.”

After the report was finished, the hall fell into a deathly silence, broken only by the hissing of snakes.

The Snake Mother slowly raised her head, her pale eyes revealing no emotion, but the icy pressure emanating from her made the temperature in the hall drop several degrees.

"Escaped?" Her voice was low and hoarse.
"In other words... we've been exposed, and the other side has also learned about some of our clan's abilities."

It gently tapped the skeletal throne beneath it with its slender fingers covered in fine stone scales.

This is clearly not good news.

The appearance of an unknown force near territory means that war could break out at any moment.

But deep down, besides feeling a little fear, there was also a growing greedy desire surging within him.

Living in this cruel world, it always believed that the fastest way to rise was through plunder and conquest.

An unfamiliar ethnic group means unknown resource reserves, and even a large amount of flesh and blood energy that can be consumed.

If they can devour it, the race will surely experience a leap in growth in the following period.

But the premise of plunder is having the ability to crush the other party, rather than being devoured by them.

Thinking of this, the snake mother looked at her subordinates, her full head of snake hair dancing with her emotions:

"Give me the information about this tribe."

Faced with the Serpent Mother's command, the prostrate Gogong warrior lowered his head even further. From his wavy, snake-like hair, a thin, jet-black snake slowly emerged, sliding down his hunched back to the ground before silently swimming toward the high bone throne.

The snake mother's pale eyes were lowered as she watched the small snake meander up the throne made of stone statues.

Finally, they arrived in front of her.

A single snake hair on its head slowly lowered and gently touched the forehead of the person recording the snake.

In an instant, the battle scenes and energy fluctuations flooded into the Serpent Mother's mind like a tidal wave.

In the scene, a member of the tribe who was exploring outside the city suddenly sensed unfamiliar fluctuations of qi and blood energy when he reached a familiar scene.

It decisively concealed its presence, hiding in the bushes, and slowly approached the direction from which the fluctuations in qi and blood were coming from.

Before long, the people in the picture saw the figures of the alien race approaching from a distance.

This led to a confrontation.

At the end of the scene, it saw the three Spirit Breath warriors turn into bloody light and quickly disappear into the sky, leaving behind only a devastated battlefield and petrified debris scattered all over the ground.

The mental connection is severed at this point.

The snake that recorded the information seemed to have lost all its energy, became stiff, fell from the throne, and shattered on the white bone ground below.

After reading the record, the snake mother fell into deep thought.

The fact that the tribesmen encountered this small group of aliens by chance cannot be used as a basis for judging the tribe's strength or even its war prowess.

But you can still see some clues.

In the initial encounter, this race's combat strength was not outstanding, and even lacked any highlights.

Perhaps it is a foreign civilization that can be hunted and plundered.

However, the information was still too little to explain everything.

Perhaps the other side is merely a slave being of the tribe behind them, and cannot represent the war controlled by the forces behind them.

As her thoughts churned, fear and greed intertwined in the snake mother's heart.

It craves to wage war and enjoys the evolutionary thrill of devouring.

But its reason as a ruler told it that rushing headlong into another behemoth of unknown size in the darkness would be an extremely foolish decision.

Perhaps, the moment the behemoth reveals its form will be the moment the Gogong tribe faces its destruction.

"Dispatch all Stone Speakers and Shadow Serpents to investigate." The Serpent Mother finally gave the order, a resolute glint in her pale eyes:
"I need to know everything about this race, including their population size, weaknesses, and power system... Any large-scale operations should be suspended until we have a clear understanding of their true nature."

At this point, the snake mother paused briefly, then her tone turned sinister:

"At the same time, prepare all warriors in the tribe. Once we confirm that the alien race is not a threat, our fangs will pierce their hearts."

The order was quickly relayed, and the entire Gogong tribe began to operate efficiently, like a war machine.

We are preparing to launch a comprehensive investigation into the Spirit Breath Clan.

The Serpent Queen returned to her throne, her gaze seemingly piercing through the walls of the Stone Nest, looking towards the direction of Spiritbreath City.

The caution that surfaced in his eyes could not conceal his greedy desires.

It could sense the commotion emanating from the depths of the lair; the bloodlust of the war commanders was pressing down on it as if it were a tangible force.

The Gogong people revere conquest and annexation; prolonged peace will only lead to the accumulation of internal pressure.

It needs a war to unleash this power.

They either plunder external forces or devour themselves, using self-devouring competition to optimize and innovate.

It craves the intelligence it gathers to satisfy the Gogong tribe's bloodlust.

……

Just as the young mage was deep within the royal court pondering a way out of the impasse, and the Gogong tribe was preparing to launch an investigation, the seven Spirit Thrones, who had also received the urgent message from the "War Priest," had gathered in the Spirit Council Hall.

Within the magnificent hall, energy surged like the tides.

Beside the enormous conference table, seven figures, each with a unique form yet radiating a powerful aura of life, sat silently, like statues that had existed since time immemorial.

The first to break the silence was the Soul King, surrounded by a pale blue soul mist, whose voice seemed to come from the depths of time:

"This could very well be the first real war crisis we've faced since we arrived in the monster world. The Blood King must have already received the news. What do you all think?"

In response to the question, the Bone King beside the Soul King said in a deep voice:
"The current situation is that we know nothing about the alien races, but they also know nothing about the Spirit Breath Clan. Each of us sees the other as a force with unknown combat power. We are nervous at the moment, and perhaps the alien races are even more nervous than us. They are also worried about whether they can cope with the war power possessed by our Spirit Breath Clan."

"Before they have figured out our situation, they probably won't dare to make any rash moves."

After listening to the Bone King's analysis, the Soul King and the other six thrones nodded in agreement.

They have all considered this idea.

It is certain that the alien forces will soon launch a reconnaissance operation and conduct a detailed investigation of the Spirit Breath Clan.

As long as it is clear that their war power is insufficient to pose a serious threat, a war of plunder will ensue.

"Soul King, why did you summon us here? Why didn't you call Blood King?" the Fungus King asked, puzzled.

Upon hearing this, the Soul King sighed and glanced at the other six Spirit Thrones:

"Let me ask you all a question first: how many years have we seven old guys been guarding the Spirit Breath Clan?"

Before the other thrones could answer, the Soul King continued:

"We were once the leaders of the Spirit Breath Clan, the cornerstone of its development. Every cross-dimensional war that our Super Beast Legion waged contributed to the clan's growth. Those were our most glorious moments. With our war experience, we led the Spirit Breath Clan to unprecedented heights... But that was all in the past."

"Can anyone tell me, what is our value after descending into the monster world?"

"The answer is that we are worthless and more like stumbling blocks on the road to the new era. Only the Blood King is the future of the Spirit Breath Clan and the only hope to break the Spirit Breath Clan's development predicament... But he is being held back by us old stubborns. If we want the Spirit Breath Clan to be completely integrated and united as one, we should not have the old era's eight thrones. We should give power to the Blood King."

Upon hearing these words, the expressions of the other six kings dimmed slightly.

They understood perfectly well what the Soul King was saying.

The eight thrones also represent the eight branches of the Spirit Breath Clan.

Although they are compatriots, each lineage has its own leader, its own interests, and its own way of doing things.

Once the Blood King's decrees leave the capital, they are subject to some degree of influence; the final decision must be made only after consultation with the relevant authorities.

Even if they were willing to relinquish power to the Blood King, their very existence would be an obstacle.

The existence of those seven old guys has invisibly divided the power of the Spirit Breath Clan into eight parts.

The Soul King's tone was filled with deep weariness and helplessness:

"Externally, we have to deal with unknown and powerful enemies. Internally, we also have to spend a lot of effort balancing the interests of each branch and reconciling their contradictions. Each branch of the clan is hoping that their respective leaders will make decisions that are beneficial to them... Even if the Blood King has extraordinary strategies, he is slowed down by this heavy internal strife."

“We keep saying it’s for the sake of the community, but this ingrained structure is itself the biggest shackle that prevents the community from moving into a new era.”

"What the future needs is integration and unity, not the continuation of this eight-kingdoms structure." The Soul King surveyed the other thrones, a resolute glint in his eyes:
“Our authority stems from the deepest desire of our people for rise and survival, and now we must relinquish it for that vision.”

"The current crisis with the alien race is merely the first life-or-death hurdle our race faces in this monster world, not the end. The road ahead is fraught with peril and unpredictable. If we cannot sever internal strife and forge an unbreakable bond, the Spirit Fire... will ultimately be a fleeting phenomenon."

"Now there is an opportunity. The alien race knows very little about us, and both sides are about to enter the probing phase before war. If we want the alien race to be wary of us, the best thing to do is to bare our fangs and show our power in the most ferocious way... Gentlemen, we... should retreat."

After hearing the Soul King's words, the other six Spirit Thrones understood what the Soul King wanted to express.

The Soul King wants to use this crisis to break the old system of the Eight Meridians' division.

The demise of the seven leaders was used to achieve absolute unity of the clan, clearing all obstacles for the Blood King to seize power.

Secondly, their all-out attack during the probing phase will inevitably make other races wary, thus deterring them from any aggressive actions and even causing them to retreat voluntarily.

The alien race could never have imagined that the seven combatants sent during the probing phase would be the strongest combat force of the Spirit Breath Clan.

“I agree with the Soul King’s idea. The seven of us old guys still have the most ancient life structure, which can no longer keep up with the new generation born through reproduction after the reform. Our existence is no longer protection, but trapping the clan in the past. Extinction is to make way for a new path for them.”

"It is Nirvana, not annihilation," the Soul King corrected, his soul mist surging, yet his tone remained unusually calm.
"Our existence is bound to the Spirit Breath Clan from the moment we ascended the throne. The existence of individuals is meaningless. Only by completely fusing our last strength and last will into one can we build the most solid foundation for development, help the Blood King truly wield complete authority, lead the merged Spirit Breath Clan through this calamity, and even go further."

"With the simultaneous fall of the seven of us on the thrones, as sacrifices for the Blood King's ascension to absolute rule... at the same time, to put on a grand show that will deter foreign enemies, killing two birds with one stone... that's really in line with your usual style, Soul King... but is it worth it?" The Fungus King's voice was filled with complex emotions.

“Worth it.” This time, it wasn’t the Soul King who spoke, but the Eclipse King, whose body was radiating an aura of decay. Its voice was resolute:

"The glory and survival of an individual are as light as dust in the face of the survival of the race. If we can exchange our complete annihilation for a future of unity and harmony among the Spirit Breath Clan without internal strife, and even a deterrent that prevents external enemies from easily invading, then this is the value of our existence."

The Dark King's silhouette nodded slightly in the shadows:
“I agree. The shadows of the old era should make way for the rising sun of the new era and burn out in the most fiery way. Isn’t that giving ourselves some dignity? It’s time for us old folks to retire.”

Although the other thrones did not speak immediately, the will permeating the hall was gradually converging.

It was a poignant yet resolute consensus, stemming from the deepest affection and responsibility for one's community.

Sensing this heavy resolve, the Soul King finally spoke:

"Then it is settled. In the future, there will no longer be eight thrones, only the Blood King, and a complete, unified Spirit Breath race that is moving towards rebirth."

"Hahaha, we remnants of the old era have the opportunity to clear obstacles for the Spirit Breath Clan and the Blood King. I like this kind of ending where our lives end in a sublime way."

"I'm so frustrated! I've been so constrained ever since I came to this world, I've never dared to go all out." The Bone King's voice carried a wild, unrestrained energy, a release from long-suppressed desire.
"Now we can finally fight without restraint and let those alien scum see what the true sharpness of the Spirit Breath Clan is."

The King of Mushrooms' voice also carried a hint of fanaticism:
"Then let our final curtain call ignite the future. Ladies and gentlemen, let us once again join hands to fight for the glory of the Spirit Breath."

Upon hearing his colleague's words, the aura of decay emanating from the Eclipse King suddenly intensified:

"Returning to nothingness...is also a magnificent end. It is wonderful to be able to go to the end with my dear friends of a thousand years."

At this moment, all worries and anxieties transformed into the exhilarating feeling of facing death with righteous indignation:
"The glory of the past will eventually form the foundation for a new life. From now on, all authority and power will be returned to the Blood King, so that the Spirit Breath Clan will have only one voice, one will, and one direction."

"Hahaha, good, this is the kind of ending we old guys deserve."

"A soldier's life should not end with retirement; dying in battle is our best destiny."

A surge of fighting spirit and determination rose into the sky as if it were a tangible force, shaking the entire Spirit Breath Hall.

At this moment, seven ancient wills resonated and intertwined without reservation, ready to burn everything for the same goal.

The next moment, seven dazzling beams of light burst through the dome of the Spirit Breath Hall.

Like seven shooting stars rising against the tide, piercing straight into the sky.

The light faded, revealing the true forms of the seven thrones.

No longer concealing its aura, the boundless life energy spread unrestrainedly, its oppressive power enveloping the surrounding area.

They hovered high in the sky, looking down one last time at the Spirit City below, which they had guarded for a thousand years and which was now reborn in the new world.

His gaze held too many indescribable emotions.

In that instant, time seemed to stand still.

Before parting, the seven kings recalled their past.

On their coronation as kings, under the fervent gaze of millions of their people, they swore an oath before the ancient altar:

"This life, this soul, is given to the spirit; wherever glory points, that is where we will go."

These young people have a burning desire to create a better future and protect their people.

They led the first generation of super beast legions, tearing apart the world's barriers and stepping into an unknown small world.

Behind them are tense soldiers, and ahead lies a new world filled with danger and opportunity.

Standing side by side, they combined their strength into an invincible torrent, bringing back the first abundant resources for their race, which was on the verge of exhaustion. This laid the foundation for their rise and clarified the path of plunder and development for the Spirit Breath Clan.

In a brutal cross-border war, the first Eclipse King sacrificed himself to clear the way for the main force's retreat.

The scene depicts the other thrones silently guarding the place where the kings slumber, upon returning to their home world.

There was also the Lingxi civilization at its peak, when they stood on the clouds, looking down on the prosperous kingdom. Although there was weariness in their eyes, there was more satisfaction and pride.

That is the sweetest fruit they reaped from their hard work.

Countless scenes of battle, struggle, and glorious prosperity... the long years they shared, the trust built through fighting side by side, the moments of protecting their people... flashed through the minds of the seven kings like a revolving lantern, ultimately coalescing into a deep and profound attachment and responsibility to the word "spiritual breath" that transcends individual existence.

They took one last look at the city beneath their feet, imprinting it in their hearts.

The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the sky a magnificent orange-red, and the flowing clouds were like fire, as if the sky had laid out a carpet that stretched all the way to the end for them.

Warm light shone on their diverse yet equally steadfast bodies, gilding them with a sacred golden outline.

The Soul King murmured softly at this moment:
"For...our original vow."

This single sentence perfectly encapsulates what the other throne holders were thinking.

All the sacrifices and all the resolute decisions found their final conclusion in this sentence.

It's time to fulfill the promises made at the beginning of our journey, at the starting point of our struggle.

boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
Seven deafening roars suddenly erupted from the depths of Spirit Breath City, like a ferocious beast that had been sleeping for millennia suddenly awakening.

Immediately afterwards, seven beams of light, each a different color but all containing terrifying power, shot into the sky from different areas of the city.

It shot towards the seven thrones high in the sky.

These are seven terrifying, mountain-sized, throne-level super beasts.

They were once the most powerful weapons of war in the hands of the Seven Thrones.

Although they lacked independent consciousness, they sensed their master's resolute will and boiling fighting spirit, and let out a roar that tore through the sky.

The Bone King's companion super beast, the "Skeleton Star Dragon," carrying the aura of death, crashed into its body with a deafening roar, its thousands of bones perfectly merging with it.

The symbiotic super beast of the Fungus King, the "Thousand-Spore Corruption Beast," transformed into billions of mycelia shimmering with deadly light, enveloping and fusing with the Fungus King like a living tide, making its form increasingly enormous.

The Eclipse King's companion super beast, "Ten Thousand Eclipse Devouring Realm," transformed into a gray, decaying torrent, merging into the decaying mist surrounding the Eclipse King...

Without another word, the seven figures transformed into a breathtaking sight that tore through the sky.

With unwavering determination, they sped off towards the location of the "Gegong tribe's territory".

The mountains and rivers along the way rushed past beneath our feet.

Finally, on the distant horizon, the outline of the city of the Gogong tribe, exuding a cold and deathly aura, came into view like a crouching behemoth.

The leading Soul King slowed down slightly. He glanced back at the six kings flying side by side behind him, and then looked at the distant city of Li Lingxi, whose outline was no longer visible in the rosy glow of the sunset.

A sense of relief and nonchalance emerged in her pale blue eyes:

His calm voice clearly reached the ears of every person on the throne, devoid of sorrow, only displaying a composed and heroic spirit befitting someone going to a rendezvous:
"Gentlemen, Spirit Breath Heroes' Tomb... Farewell."

"Roar!" The six thrones responded with a war cry.

As soon as the words fell, the speed of the seven figures suddenly exploded, like seven sharp swords burning with the last glimmer of life, shooting headlong into the desolate alien city.

With the most magnificent demise, let us offer the final, blazing fire of the old throne to the new era of spiritual breath.

They are destined to never witness the future of spiritual energy, all for the sake of igniting one.

A tomorrow they can never reach.

　Here are 7300 words~
　　
　
(End of this chapter)