Who taught him to restore the country like this

Chapter 144 A Single Spark Can Start a Prairie Fire
Under the withered tree, the man who had been leading the way looked at the wooden house that had remained silent for a long time, and slowly became a little anxious.

Legend has it that anyone within three meters of the Witch of Calamity will be corrupted by calamity, fall ill, or even die.

The small cabin where the Calamity Witch lived was less than 30 square meters in total. Ron had been in close proximity to the Calamity Witch for so long, he must be dead by now!
Just as he was hesitating whether to return to Hongyun Town to report this terrible news, the wooden house creaked open.

Ron appeared in the doorway and stepped out with steady steps.

Seeing Ron arrive unharmed, the man's face lit up with joy. He stepped out from behind the tree, about to greet him, but then noticed that Ron was carrying someone on his shoulder.

He froze for a moment, then his heart began to pound wildly.

In this desolate wilderness, no one else but them would come here. Ron entered the witch's lair empty-handed, but came out carrying a person...

He thought of something very terrible.

No way……

What he's carrying isn't...

"Let me go, you rude scoundrel! How can you ask for help like that?"

A clear, husky female voice, filled with shame and indignation, rang out, confirming his worst suspicions.

Isabella struggled in vain as she was carried upside down, her long, silvery hair hanging down in disarray, swaying with her movements.

“What do you mean by helping?” Ron’s hands were like steel shackles, firmly binding Isabella’s slender legs, making her unmoved no matter how she kicked. “I was just worried about leaving Your Highness alone in a dangerous place. I will apologize for any offense I may have caused.”

"I don't need your help. Anyway, no one cares whether I live or die."

“Your Highness, please don’t give up on yourself. In the future, many people will like you, need you, and protect you. If you die, many people will be sad,” Ron paused, “At least… I will be very sad.”

He was making empty promises of friendship to Isabella.

These words, like a stone thrown into an icy lake, struck precisely at Isabella's deepest desires.

The force of the struggle on his shoulder weakened at a visible rate.

"...What will I become in the future?" she asked, her voice a little somber.

“Your Highness will become the person everyone relies on most in the future,” Ron replied.

Upon hearing this, the body on his shoulder fell completely still, and even the last trace of tension disappeared.

“…Don’t call me Your Highness,” Isabella said calmly.

“Okay, Isabella,” Ron replied with a smile.

"Put me down, I haven't taken my things yet."

“What’s the point of taking those junk? I’ll buy you better stuff later.” Ron didn’t stop walking at all.

He had just checked; there was nothing of value in the house, and as for any memorable gifts from friends… she couldn’t possibly have that.

Isabella fell silent and stopped speaking.

Sensing her compromise, Ron smiled.

He always maintained a certain degree of restraint regarding this forced buying and selling behavior.

He certainly wouldn't have dared to do this if there wasn't some emotional connection between them, or if Isabella really didn't want to help.

Because he cannot withstand the full power of the [Annihilation] ability.

He is now entirely relying on the Gathering Source Array Plate... which is the array plate that opened the ruins of the Twilight Paradise Lost in the Gray Mist Territory. It was created by the Lord of the Holy Unified Empire through the sacrifice of his life to suppress the power of the evil god.

Once fully charged, it can negate the effects of [Annihilation] when at full power.

However, this array plate had recently recharged the seal in the Twilight Ruins, and its restored energy could only withstand the second stage of [Annihilation].

The "calamity" that Isabella cannot escape is the second stage of "annihilation"—decay.

Therefore, Ron didn't start by carrying someone.

Instead, he first establishes an emotional foundation with her by talking about things that will happen in the future, making her look forward to the future.

Isabella's previous decision to linger on the edge of Red Cloud Town shows that she is not completely indifferent; it's just that the wall in her heart called "abandoned by the world" is too heavy, and someone needs to use some force to help her break it down.

"What are you standing there for?" Ron walked past the stunned man. "Lead the way, let's go back."

Upon hearing Ron's voice, the man shuddered as if waking from a dream, staring in terror at the person on Ron's shoulder.

The Calamity Witch!

He actually brought out the Calamity Witch!

Does he want his life?

Just getting close to the Calamity Witch would be fatal, yet he dared to attack her directly!

The man felt his worldview crumbling. He practically scrambled on his hands and feet, trying to get as far away from Ron and Isabella as possible, stumbling forward to lead the way. Every step felt like walking on burning coals, and he just wanted to get away from this source of terror as quickly as possible.

……

Hongyun Town.

Inside the room, the firewood in the fireplace crackled, but it couldn't dispel the heavy chill in the air.

"Lord Zede, do you really think he can bring that prince here?"

Diana stood by the window, gazing at the oppressive wind and snow, feeling uneasy.

"It should be fine, judging from Lord Ron's confidence." Zed sat on the bed, watching Diana's uneasy back, and gave a satisfactory answer.

That's what he said, but he actually felt the chances were slim.

They went five times, all to no avail. Trying to persuade a complete stranger to come after only one visit... that's very difficult!
can only say……

Just then, the door was flung open, letting in a blast of bone-chilling cold air. A soldier on duty, pale-faced and breathless, rushed in:
“Miss Diana, Lord Zed, Lord Ron…he’s back!”

Their gazes fell on the soldier simultaneously, and their nerves tensed instantly.

"Did he... come back alone?" Zedd asked.

"No, he came back with that witch," the warrior replied, panting.

"He really brought the person back?" Diana and Zedd's eyes lit up with surprise at the same time.

"He...shouldn't have...invited the person back." The soldier's expression was extremely complicated, even carrying a hint of absurdity and lingering fear.

"What do you mean?" Zede asked, puzzled.

Were they not invited back, or were they captured?
The soldier swallowed hard and managed to utter a few words: "He... he carried... carried the person back."

"You carried it back?"

Zeder was completely dumbfounded and couldn't understand the meaning of the word for a moment.

Before he could finish speaking, heavy footsteps sounded outside the door. A few seconds later, Ron appeared in the doorway, carrying a slender figure wrapped in a cloak with silver hair hanging down on his shoulder.

The messenger warrior turned deathly pale as if he had seen a ghost. He squeezed through the narrow gap beside Ron at top speed, almost pressed against the wall, and disappeared into the end of the corridor without looking back, as if staying even a second longer would mean being swallowed by an invisible calamity.

Only a dumbfounded Diana and a shocked Zed remained in the room.

You're not a brother, but you actually brought him back?

“Miss Diana, I have summoned Princess Isabella,” Ron’s voice broke the silence. “We can continue our discussion from before.”

"Lord Ron, Princess Isabella... has she agreed to help us?" Zed asked hesitantly, snapping out of his daze. "Are you sure they'll help us with this kind of request?"

“Of course,” Ron nodded in an unquestionable tone.

“I never agreed to help you,” Isabella’s icy voice immediately came from behind.

Ignoring Isabella's haughty protest, Ron continued, "After discussions between Her Highness Isabella and me, the matter of leaving Misian State can be postponed."

"Why?" Zedd frowned.

“Because running away won’t solve anything,” Ron said calmly. “With the arrival of the Twilight’s End and the Empire’s inaction, the power of the Order of the End is growing stronger every day. If we all choose to run away now, the clutches of the Order of the End will eventually cover every inch of the Empire’s territory.”

"At that time, who will help us escape? And where can we escape to?"

Ron's questions rained down on Zedd's heavy heart like a thunderstorm.

He couldn't refute Ron's assessment of the Empire's situation and general trends, but... he was even more aware of Red Cloud Town's current vulnerability.

“The Empire is already considering abandoning the Misian State, so what kind of trouble can we possibly cause with just a few of us?” Zede said in a deep voice.

If he had the ability, wouldn't he want to avenge Earl Hughes?

"How will you know if you don't try?" Ron's face showed his unique confidence: "You know, a single spark can start a prairie fire."

A single spark can start a prairie fire… Zede was lost in thought.

"Moreover, we are not just a spark; with Princess Isabella's assistance, we are now a blazing sun, enough to burn away all evil and darkness," Ron said passionately.

The group of people, who had little experience with pyramid scheme rhetoric, felt a surge of excitement.

"Lord Zeder, I want to stay and avenge my father," Diana finally mustered her courage and said.

She made this decision not because she was misled into not recognizing her own abilities.

Rather, she knew that if anyone wanted to leave, only she could; Zedd and the others would die here.

She was terrified of death, but she didn't want to abandon everyone and live on alone.

So she decided to stay, to leave behind hope that would allow everyone to survive.

Zedd's expression was complicated upon hearing Diana's determination.

Ultimately, he chose to respect Diana's wishes.

“Lord Ron, please sit down and let’s talk,” Zedd said.

"I'm not tired." Ron is now at the fourth stage of his physique, and Isabella is very light, so carrying her doesn't take much effort.

Zede's eye twitched.

Is this a question of whether you're tired or not?

This is a question of whether it's appropriate or not!

Isabella is a princess, after all, and we need her help now. Is it appropriate for you to keep carrying her burden?

As if understanding Zedd's meaning, Ron slowly squatted down and released his grip on Isabella's knee.

Isabella touched the ground with both feet and stood up steadily.

She didn't react much to regaining her freedom. She calmly straightened her clothes and hair, then stared at Ron with displeasure and reiterated, "I told you, I haven't agreed to help you yet."

“Oh yes,” Ron said, bringing her a chair and placing it beside her. “Sit down.”

His attitude was very gentlemanly, but his perfunctory tone infuriated Isabella.

Considering there were other people in the room, she did not lash out.

She turned around, took off her hood, and sat down facing the two people in the room.

Diana and Zedd finally saw the legendary witch of calamity for who she truly was.

In the past, when they visited, they had only spoken a few words from a distance of ten meters outside the gate. They had never been so close to each other before.

At this moment, they were only three or four meters away from the Calamity Witch, and that chilling aura of calamity seemed to permeate their bodies and reach their very souls.

“Diana Hughes (Zed) greets Her Highness Isabella.”

The two suppressed their urge to escape the room, bowed respectfully to him, and carefully examined his appearance.

Perhaps because he had lived far from towns and deep in the mountains for many years and had not eaten anything good, this prince was excessively thin, as if a gust of wind could blow him over.

Her long, white hair fell in a slightly disheveled manner, making her small, palm-sized face appear even paler and more translucent. Those unsettling eyes were neither evil nor murky as one might imagine.

Instead, it was a near-dead blue, devoid of all vitality, like a frozen lake in winter, where loneliness and numbness, long abandoned by the world, had settled.

"Have you seen enough?" Isabella's voice was icy.

Wherever she goes, people look at her like she's an oddball.

It's better to hang on Ron's shoulder than to be around these people.

As expected... I still can't adapt to life outside...

despair.

A warm and steady hand gently and soothingly rested on her tense shoulder.

It was Ron standing behind him.

Ron said in a relaxed tone, "You should be happy, after all, Princess Isabella is so beautiful that anyone who sees her can't help but take a second look."

"What...what nonsense are you talking about!?"

Isabella's cold mask shattered instantly. She turned her head sharply and glared at Ron. Two streaks of red appeared on her pale cheeks at a visible speed, spreading all the way to the tips of her small ears.

Meeting Ron's smiling eyes, she looked away, pulled her large hood up again, and tried to hide her lapse in composure.

“I’m telling the truth,” Ron said with a smile in his eyes and a sincere tone, “Your Highness, your beauty is like…”

"Shut up, don't say another word!" Isabella said, lowering her head in embarrassment and annoyance.

"I'm sorry," Diana apologized for her rudeness.

“Alright, let’s talk about your business,” Isabella said.

"Lord Ron, what do you intend to do?" Zedd asked.

“Of course, we should improve our strength first,” Ron said. “My situation is a bit special. As long as I have enough faith power, I can directly advance to the highest level.”

Unlike others, gaining the power of faith requires gradual advancement through talent and enlightenment.

There is no barrier to entry as long as players are given enough experience.

“I plan to gather all the survivors in Canare County and then wipe out all the cultists in Canare County,” Ron said. “After that, we will reorganize our army, take over other counties, and gradually grow stronger.”

If things could proceed smoothly as he described, there would indeed be great potential, but...

"What if the cult of evil sends a purple-robed priest, or even a red-robed priest? How should we deal with that?" Zede asked worriedly.

"Of course, we'll accept everything."

(End of this chapter)