Man on the ark, forced to become king

Then, natural disaster struck.

Where there are golden trees, there is a golden realm, and nothing can hide from them.

The Reunion Movement's team was immediately targeted by the Golden Tree, and a pattern large enough to cover thousands of people rose out of thin air, enveloping them.

Before they could react, the sea of ​​fire and crystals suspended in the sky fell down with terrifying force.

In an instant, flames descended from the sky, and countless glittering meteors reflected the firelight as they fell from the heavens, accompanied by howling winds.

A sharp screech drowned out all other sounds in the world; the earth trembled and roared, and the swirling dust and snow obscured the entire space within sight.

Standing on the icy plains, Talulah looked around blankly, feeling as if she were still dreaming.

The ground beneath my feet trembled violently, as if a large number of meteors were falling.

The air seemed to be heating up, making even Drak, who controlled the flames, feel a bit scorching hot, as flames falling from the sky ignited the earth.

Firelight, storm, meteors, and the terrified screams of the crowd intertwined to form a bizarre and grotesque picture, with chaotic colors haphazardly painted, as if the whole world was shattering at that moment.

So... is that the power of the Golden Tree?

Amidst the chaos, only that one colossal golden tree, resembling a pillar reaching to the heavens, rose from the ground, clearly visible even when obscured by dust and smoke.

Talulah, of course, could see it too.

However, she had no time to think about it.

This area covered by the golden pattern became the only safe haven; outside the pattern, it was a scene of utter devastation.

Soil, snow, rocks, and vegetation were all churned together by the tremors, and scorching flames burned on the ground. Although they did not spread further, they still scorched large areas of the earth black.

Amidst the flames, the falling meteors resembled sharp nails, embedding themselves in the chaotic ground, densely packed and seemingly endless.

What was happening before her eyes was completely beyond her comprehension and cognitive limits.

Before this, she had never imagined that a person could do this.

Faced with a power that can even control natural disasters, does the existence of an army really still have any meaning?

She even felt that her own teacher could destroy a country on his own.

Ursus's army group is indeed powerful, capable of holding back Bozokasti's advance, but even if they were to gather together, form battle formations, and be fully armed, could they still withstand such a disaster?

Humanity is absolutely incapable of resisting destruction that comes from the sky; the commander of the Ursus forces now has a clear answer.

They came from beyond the ice plains, carrying the finest equipment and driving the Empire's best vehicles. Their troop carriers and armored vehicles, all covered in special armor, made them invincible on any battlefield.

However, in the face of this disaster, so-called weapons of war are no more durable than paper and clay sculptures.

The sturdy armor was shattered by the falling crystals, the refined steel melted in the flames, and everyone fled in disarray, relying on experience and luck to escape the nightmarish natural disaster. The orderly war was shattered in an instant.

Command had long since failed. In the terrifying storm carrying Originium energy, all electronic devices that relied on Originium to operate were rendered useless, and sound could not possibly drown out the howling wind. All the soldiers became isolated islands in the storm, fighting each other and barely managing to avoid danger.

In the end, the commander, who had rolled into the mud with his adjutant, didn't even have the strength to shout anymore. He knew that everything was over.

Natural disasters are the most terrifying yet fairest things in the world—because they bring about equal death.

Whether royalty or common soldiers, those caught up in it face only destruction, just as they are now.

The superior equipment was incredibly fragile, the strict military discipline was a joke, and nothing but luck could save their lives.

In his final moments, the commander only wanted to curse all the ancestors of those great nobles.

They were the empire's most elite warriors, who should have been conquering new territories and dominating other nations on the battlefield. However, due to a bizarre order, they were sent to the desolate, icy plains to search for something whose very existence was unknown. Now, they were to be humiliated and perish in an even more inexplicable natural disaster.

Whether it's a natural disaster or magic, the commander is too lazy to care or even think about it. Does it even matter?

Anyway, they're all going to die, and their deaths will be meaningless and pointless.

"Sir! Sir!"

Suddenly, the adjutant's voice came from beside him. The commander groggily raised his head, opened his eyes, and found that his adjutant, who had followed him for many years, was kneeling beside him, his neat military uniform covered in mud and blood, looking utterly disheveled.

"Sir! The natural disaster is over!"

"What……"

"The natural disaster is over, sir!"

"It's over...?!"

The commander perked up, struggled to his feet from the mud, and looked up at the sky, only to find it all gray and gloomy.

However, the towering sea of ​​fire and countless crystals have disappeared.

Is this... the end?

Life's ups and downs always come so suddenly. One second you're mired in the shadow of death, and the next you find yourself lucky enough to have survived a disaster.

Nothing could be more intense than extreme sorrow and joy.

However, being a seasoned veteran of many battles, the commander quickly regained his composure and his first thought was to regroup the troops.

He didn't know how many people survived the disaster, but as long as one person survived, he would take that person and escape this terrifying place.

There is great terror in the icy plains. The figure that controls natural disasters is something they cannot fight against. What nonsense is the Grand Duke's order? Survival is more important than anything else.

"Regroup and let's go back!"

Those inexplicable orders, let whoever wants to do them do them. He wants to take his men back to the Imperial Army, and once they're back, he'll use his connections to see if they can be transferred to other units.

He absolutely never wants to return to this incomprehensible icy plain in his lifetime.

"Sir, we might... not be able to go back."

Just as the commander was pondering what to do next, an arm was stretched out in front of him. The adjutant tore open the tattered sleeve and wiped it with a slightly cleaner part of the clothes, revealing a long, narrow wound that stretched from the elbow to the wrist, oozing bright red blood.

Around the wound, tiny black crystals grew from the flesh, causing the commander's pupils to suddenly contract.

"Origin...infection."

His voice was dry, as if a stone was stuffed in his throat, making it impossible for him to speak.

He knew all too well what the crystals growing in his flesh and blood were.

In Ursus, this is synonymous with the devil, absolute original sin. Being labeled an Oripathy infected person means falling from the clouds to the bottom, and everything in the past will vanish.

There is no place for infected people in this country.

If they return to the army as infected, they will face the cruelest punishment: they will be turned from soldiers into prisoners and thrown into a dark and gloomy mine, with no chance of ever turning their lives around.

Yeah yeah……

High concentrations of Originium radiation are always present in areas affected by natural disasters; this should have been expected...

Even if they survive, they can never go back.

The fact that they are infected is the greatest evil. Although they are still alive, in Ursus, they are no different from the dead.

"Sir, what should we do?"

The adjutant's voice trembled slightly, but the unwavering will forged in years of battle allowed him to barely maintain his composure and prevent him from losing control of his emotions.

But who can truly remain unmoved when they know that their future fate will be bleak?

"Reorganize the troops, count the wounded, and bury the bodies on the spot."

The commander narrowed his eyes and gave the order. He still looked calm, but his slightly cloudy eyes seemed to flash with a cold light.

Previously, he hadn't paid much attention to the Empire's policies regarding the Infected, because they were Ursus's most elite force.

A large portion of the Originium mined by the infected is directly supplied to the military; they are the beneficiaries of this.

But now, those who benefited from the system have become part of the oppressed group. Things they used to disregard have suddenly become magnified in their eyes and become unacceptable.

"Then let's..."

"I will contact the higher-ups, but let's prepare for the worst; we might not be able to go back."

Infected with Oripathy, and still want to return to the army? That's simply impossible. The commander knows this very well. He's only saying this to completely shatter some people's unrealistic fantasies.

The adjutant understood his meaning, his pupils dilated slightly, and he exclaimed in surprise, "You mean...?"

"why not?"

The commander turned to look at his adjutant's shocked face, his words carrying a chilling undertone.

"Since you're going to die anyway, you have to choose how you die."

"If we can't survive, then they shouldn't expect to enjoy a peaceful life either."

……

The dialogue between the commander and his adjutant was repeated in many places on the post-disaster ice plains.

The processes may differ, but the results are largely the same.

These soldiers are all veterans who have seen blood on the battlefield, not those submissive civilians. Knowing that they might be abandoned, they will never sit idly by and wait for death. Anyone who wants their lives should be prepared to lose their head.

Sometimes, loyalty depends on conditions. Ursus's army has no shortage of fanatics, but such people are ultimately a minority. Most people have their own selfish motives and are not mindless puppets. They would not continue to serve the high and mighty nobles knowing that they have been abandoned.

The aftermath of the natural disaster has not yet subsided, and for some time, modern communication equipment will be unusable in an environment filled with Originium radiation.

This means that before communications are restored, the various units scattered across the ice plains due to the orders of the Grand Dukes cannot contact each other or establish unified communication with the higher command. Moreover, with the Golden Tree exerting influence on the ice plains, Lin Lu is confident that she can break them down from a complete legion into small groups.

If two organized army groups were to come together, the Ursus leadership might compromise under pressure. However, if they were to send small groups of people to inquire about the results in a primitive manner, they would only get the worst possible answer.

Even if communication is restored later, with morale low, the soldiers of the army group will no longer believe the nobles' hypocritical words. Some things, once opened, can never be undone.