I'm really a serious wizard.

"I...I dreamt of my grandmother."

Which grandma?

Ron subconsciously shook the cat paw bracelet.

"It's Grandma Fiona."

Vivian said solemnly.

"I dreamt that she was in danger somewhere, how should I put it?"

"They were beaten up like dogs."

That's really terrible.
Ron's lips twitched slightly, secretly relieved that Fiona had fallen into a deep sleep due to exhaustion of her power.

Otherwise, there might be another big fight going on right now.

But just as he was about to ask how badly someone had been beaten to be considered a "street urchin,"

The sky castle, which had shattered into four or five pieces, suddenly roared loudly.

The earth shook violently, and tall buildings collapsed one after another.

After several major battles, the magical artifact finally succumbed to the pressure and began to crumble and disintegrate.

"We'll talk about the rest when we get back."

Ron showed no sign of panic and interrupted Vivian's narration.

Then he gently stepped forward with his right foot, creating a layer of pale blue light on the ground.

Upon reaching the level of a demigod, Ron's mental power was sufficient to cover the entire "Sky Castle" and perceive its complex internal structure.

In this situation, he could use his magic to perform "shapeshifting" for a quick repair.

Holy light and magic poured out wildly, transforming into complete bricks, gears of varying sizes, and all sorts of pipes and connectors.

In no time, the damaged parts were replaced, and the magical creation was restored to its original state.

"That's amazing!"

Even though it wasn't the first time she had witnessed the wonders of "shapeshifting," Vivian still let out a sigh of admiration.

Upon hearing this, Ron immediately put his hands behind his back, exuding a sense of loneliness befitting a master.

"It's just so-so, nothing that amazing."

He answered very modestly.

And to show his simple and honest side, he even bent down and dug the head of the goddess of life out of the ground.

The vampire girl nodded, seemingly hesitating for a long time before carefully asking:

"Lord Ron, you seemed to have told me some time ago that you were already a legend?"

Upon hearing this, Ron paused in his actions.
A sense of vanity, of being worshipped, unconsciously welled up inside me.

They even used the formal "you" (您).

Were they moved by my strength and righteous and courageous spirit?
Thinking about it carefully, I actually feel a little excited.

However, as a demigod of the Holy Light faction, Ron knew all too well that vanity would lead him to pride.

He calmly said:
"Yes."

He then added another sentence:
"How did you know I became a demigod in just over half a month?"

"."

Vivian was speechless for a moment, her brows seeming to furrow even deeper.

"So you mean you're a top-tier expert?"

"Yes."

Ron tried his best to suppress the upturned corners of his mouth, his whole body covered in goosebumps from Vivian's adoration.

But in the next moment, his smile suddenly froze.

The vampire girl, hands clasped together, said rather shyly:

“Mr. Ron, since you are a strongman, why do you want me to bind your limbs with chains?”

"I want to look at you like you're trash."

"Aren't strong people usually ruthless and domineering, like Ms. Olivia?"

What kind of talk is that?! What kind of talk is that?!
Where am I not ruthless? Where am I not assertive?

Let's not talk about this anymore, we can still be good friends!

Ron's breath hitched, and cold sweat poured down his back.

The ugly scene of giving it my all earlier immediately flashed into my mind.

"Uh, this, this."

"I am forging, yes, to strengthen my inner self."

The blond boy hurriedly answered.

"Vivian, you don't understand. In order to control their power, strong people usually temper their minds!"

"Right, that is it!"

That's utter nonsense.
The president, who was listening in, let out a cold laugh.

you still need to ask?

Ron has a ton of flaws; "despicable" is an understatement to describe him.

If I had to choose a word to describe it, Olivia would say "perverted" would be the most fitting.

"Is that right?"

Vivian blinked.

"It's all covered! It's all covered!"

The blond boy patted his chest and made repeated assurances.

Without further delay, he quickly returned to the repaired central tower, carrying the head of the Goddess of Life.

Olivia and Vivian followed closely behind, with the former carrying the latter as they arrived almost simultaneously.

After the head of the Goddess of Life was properly placed, a slight mechanical turning sound of gears came from inside the Sky Castle.

[Energy remaining: 10.2%]

As the energy gradually replenished, Ron extended his finger and gently slid it across the virtual map, issuing commands in his mind.

"Return to the real world!"

Unable to retrieve spatial coordinates

Damn it, what use are you to me!

Ron's lips twitched.

That broken Sky Castle, it always lets me down.

It's just about going a little deeper into the world.
Isn't it just that it's far removed from the real world, separated by countless layers of time and space?
That's it?

That being said, the deepest level of the Deep World is certainly not a place you can come and go as you please.

If one could freely traverse the Sky Castle, that would truly be a ghost story.

With a sigh, Ron realized that the only way to return to the real world was through that one trick.

It's the so-called first time to be born and second time to be familiar.

Meeting the gazes of the two women behind him, he cleared his throat and called out:

"I want to lick Catherine's feet!"

And you still say you're not a pervert!
-

real world.

A towering white pillar of light descended, then slowly disintegrated into tiny white specks.

After a long time, Ron and his two companions finally returned to reality.

At this moment, it had only been a little over a day since they entered the deeper world.

Inside Sky Castle, Vivian avoided Ron's gaze and continued their previous conversation.

“I saw another continent, neither the Kingdom of Oran nor the Radiant Federation.”

“Ms. Fiona was exploring something there, and the place she was in felt very similar to the Deep World.”

"More details."

The vampire girl frowned in thought, then her eyes lit up and she said:

"She seems to be trapped in an ancient ruin, which is very large and has a strong style of worship and ritual."

"It looks like a temple of some deity."

What are you doing looking for ruins?
According to the ancient wizard who transformed into a dragon, Fiona left the continent of Oran because of the apocalypse.

Could it be that there are some ancient artifacts there, or a way to deal with the apocalypse?

This is the most normal guess.

However, Ron wasn't too concerned about this.

What he was concerned about was why a simple vampire girl would have such a dream.

In particular, he specifically mentioned dreaming about Fiona by name!

"Vivian, don't you find this strange?"

"Why would you have such a dream? Your connection with Fiona doesn't seem to be that deep."

Upon hearing Ron's question, Vivian lowered her head, pondered for a moment, and then said:
"Lord Ron, I was also puzzled at first."

“But after waking up and learning about our situation, I had a rough idea.” She paused, meeting Ron’s gaze, and said:
"Is it possible that our family's unconscious dreams are all influenced by the Lord of a Thousand Faces and Myriad Visions?"

"Perhaps the very first ancestor misidentified the specific information about the gods."

That's not impossible.

The ten mysterious figures are likely the last remaining deities; there are only a handful left, and it's not impossible for them to mistake one for another without ever having seen them before.
"You go on."

Ron nodded slightly.

"The Lord of a Thousand Faces and Myriad Visions has the authority to foresee the future. Although He Himself is chaotic and insane, it does not mean He has no instincts."

"Perhaps we can think of it this way: the nightmares of the successive patriarchs of the Moon Shadow Clan were the messages that He instinctively wanted to convey."

"By conveying the message of the end times, it seems that He has achieved His purpose."

Hearing this bold guess and the leaps in thought, Ron stroked his chin.

He had to admit that Vivian made a lot of sense.

After all, the Lord of a Thousand Faces and Myriad Visions not being rational doesn't mean he's become an idiot; otherwise, he wouldn't have been chasing after him so relentlessly.

He thought about what the "Mother of Compassion" had told him, and the only way to resolve the end times.

Ron's eyes lit up, and he said with a hint of excitement:

"You mean, the Lord of a Thousand Faces foresaw a possibility that Fiona herself had other ways to resolve the apocalypse!"

“Mr. Ron, this is just speculation. After all, only things related to the apocalypse would warrant a message from that deity.”

Vivian fell silent as soon as she finished speaking.

What?What?
what are you guys saying?
The president, who was listening in, scratched his head, momentarily stunned.

After she belatedly realized what the two were talking about, she immediately slammed her hand on the table.

"Ron, we must leave immediately!"

Yes, yes, we'll set off immediately. So, where should we go?
Ron rubbed his forehead.

Her student council president always says things that everyone agrees on.

However, we definitely need to set off as soon as possible.

Regardless of whether Vivian's speculation is correct or not, the mere fact that Fiona might still be alive is enough to make them do everything in their power to rescue her.

Oh, right, everything needs to be arranged before we leave. We'll leave things here in Saint Ellen's care; with Verex around, there shouldn't be any problems.
And I also have to go back to the Kingdom of Oran, and I don't know what the situation is like there now.
-

"I want to lick Catherine's feet!"

Upon hearing the instructions received by the temple, Her Majesty the Queen's breathing quickened involuntarily.

Even during important meetings with many ministers, her emerald green eyes would involuntarily wander for a moment.

It was as if Ron hadn't been discovered and was really licking her feet under the table.

Just as the excitement, tension, and exhilaration began to surface, she saw several waiters, at the Prime Minister's beckoning, carrying in several baskets of battle reports.

Catherine's eyelids twitched.

Before she could speak, the Grand Councilor, with white hair and an appearance of being in his forties or fifties, spoke first:
"Your Majesty, the situation at the border is not optimistic. The monsters are not only getting stronger, but their numbers are also increasing."

"Our soldiers are basically fighting monsters face-to-face every time, and the front line is in grave danger."

“I propose that we must return to defend the entire front. The kingdom’s borders are vast, and we simply cannot cover them all with our manpower.”

Upon hearing this, Catherine merely nodded slightly, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

"I remember that Pope Ron of the Holy See obtained quite a few weapons from the Federation?"

"But the number is too small. I mean, only a portion of the border guards can be armed with those new weapons."

The Grand Councilor's expression was not very pleasant.

The power of the new weapons indeed far surpassed that of muskets and cannons.

However, for the entire border defense of the Oran Kingdom, the armed coverage rate is only 15%.

Not to mention that those monsters are becoming increasingly difficult to deal with, and some have even grown to enormous sizes.

Even with mages and priests, the dispersed power is destined not to last long.

"I see."

Her Majesty the Empress sighed inwardly.

She pointed to the map on the table and looked at the ministers and generals.

"Where do you think the defensive line should be contracted to?"

The proposal to shrink the defense line was almost always hotly debated at every meeting.

Too much contraction is bad, and too little contraction is also bad.

The reason for this is that those abandoned lands were nominally the territory of certain nobles.

Inside the council chamber, someone couldn't contain themselves and spoke first.

"I think abandoning the coastal area is the most appropriate course of action."

Catherine glanced around and recognized the speaker as Viscount Condé.

It is said that his ancestors were once guards of the Hainlet ancestors, and eventually obtained the title that was passed down through generations.

Let me think, his fiefdom should be in...

With the map of the Kingdom of Oran flashing through her mind, Catherine almost lost her composure and couldn't maintain her cold expression.

The Viscount of Conde's Domain is located a little further inland from the coastal border.

According to him, the defensive line was located just a little ahead of his territory.

At this moment, another viscount stepped forward.

“Your Majesty, I believe that Viscount Condé’s proposal is not mature enough.”

"That would still make our defenses insufficient."

“I think we should go a little further in, forming a ring around Ryan County, so that we can protect the safety of the capital with 100% certainty.”

Upon hearing this, Catherine didn't even need to think to know that the noble fiefdom that made such a statement must be near the capital.

At this moment, a very irritable voice suddenly shouted:
"Bullshit, you dog! My Ryan County has a simple and honest folk culture and boasts one of the best grain plantations in the Kingdom of Oran."

"You actually want to drag it into the war? His Majesty the King must be a spy sent by the monster!"

That's enough!

Catherine's temple twitched slightly; she finally understood why almost all kings did not live long lives.

Thinking of this, she tapped the topographical map on the table with her finger and said:
"Since you all cannot reach a consensus, I think it would be better if each of you led your troops back to protect your own territory."

After speaking, Catherine stared intently at the many nobles in the palace.

This……

The nobles and ministers looked at each other, none of them daring to respond.

What a joke! If they can protect their own territory from those monsters, why would they travel thousands of miles to the capital with their families?

Before any of the nobles, large or small, had spoken, the kingdom's prime minister, Earl Arne, suddenly shouted in an extremely exaggerated tone, his face pale:
"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

"You are our sun; without your protection, how can we withstand the enemy?!"

As he spoke, his face became solemn.

"I am willing to offer all my territory to the kingdom and use all my wealth to fight against those vile monsters!"

Catherine was overjoyed to hear this.

She helped Count Arne, who was about to kneel, and said:
"Uncle Yann, you're too kind."

"Rest assured, your territory is my territory, and I will mobilize all my forces to protect the peace within it!"

Having said that, Her Majesty the Empress pretended to write a decree to mobilize the army with her pen.

However, the order stated that the royal army from various noble territories should be drawn from and stationed on the border of Earl Yarn's territory.

His actions were just like those of a foolish and incompetent ruler.

"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

"That's it!" Viscount Kant exclaimed.

For no other reason than that Catherine had drawn troops from the kingdoms near his territory.

Upon seeing this, the feudal nobles immediately understood Catherine's intentions.

They wanted to use the threat of monsters to reclaim their fiefdoms, thereby protecting the king's power.

If they hand over the land, those fiefdoms will likely only belong to them nominally in the future.

But if we don't pay, this ruthless queen will most likely mobilize the kingdom's army to defend the territory that has been taken over by another country.

Just then, Viscount Kant suddenly called out:
"Your Majesty, I am also willing to offer my territory to the kingdom!"

Upon hearing this, Catherine simply nodded slightly and said:
"Is that so? Very good. Your territory will also receive the protection of the Kingdom's army."

Being a king is not an easy thing, especially when you have only been on the throne for a short time.

Catherine had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure to get these self-serving nobles to obey her orders.

Let them face reality and realize who's in charge.

In the next half hour, almost half of the feudal nobles who were unable to resist the monster wave on their own chose to obey Catherine's command.

In this way, the people can be evacuated and the defense line can be tightened!

She had just breathed a sigh of relief when suddenly a Templar Knight strode in, clutching a secret letter in his hand.

Catherine quickly took the letter, her pupils dilating in shock.

[The monster population in the direction of Wintershire has surged. Three days ago, they broke through the defenses, engulfing several towns along the way and spreading into the territory of the Kingdom of Oran.] (End of Chapter)