My mom is waiting for treatment, and you're summoning me to be a hero?

Deep in the wilderness.

The ground was cracked like a spider web, and white smoke with a sulfurous smell seeped from the cracks.

On the barren, scorched earth, huge animal bones lay scattered, some weathered and white, others still bearing traces of dried blood.

In the distance, several volcanoes were belching thick smoke, turning half the sky a dark red.

In front of a cave, Lin Mo sat on a volcanic rock, holding a piece of essence in his hand.

The crystal core was the size of a fist and was dark red all over.

It looks as if magma is slowly flowing inside, and the surface is covered with fine patterns, much like dragon scales.

The essence of the level 75 Beastmaster, the Lava Earth Dragon.

This is the seventh beast king we've hunted in the last three days.

He brought the essence to Mianmian's lips.

Mianmian looked at the essence, her eight compound eyes curving into crescent shapes, and she made a soft, satisfied hissing sound.

She opened her mouth wide.

Click.

The crisp sound of shattering echoed across the wilderness.

Yin Xue sat on Lin Mo's shoulder, swinging her legs and counting on her fingers.

"Three days, from level 72 to level 74, that speed, wow."

Lin Mo nodded, stood up, and stretched his stiff neck.

"After all, it absorbed two Twilight Stones."

The second Twilight Stone further refined Lin Mo's killing techniques.

In addition, he is now gaining more experience points.

Compared to not consuming a single Twilight Stone, Lin Mo's experience gain has now at least doubled.

Of course, there was another reason he didn't mention.

Hong Lü's side has already made its move.

The demigod soul of that burly man in black is currently wreaking havoc deep within the Dragon Realm.

Lin Mo gains full experience points for each dragon he kills.

This is also why Lin Mo left the most powerful soul to Hong Lü.

Although no news came from the dragon clan at this time, only Lin Mo knew that a purge was taking place there.

At the same time, Mianmian swallowed the last fragment of essence.

She let out a satisfied burp, a tiny spark drifting from the corner of her mouth.

It patted its round belly, then climbed onto Lin Mo's shoulder in a few quick movements and rubbed its furry head against his face.

Lin Mo reached out and touched her, then stood up and patted the dust off his bottom.

"It's about time to go back."

Yin Xue raised an eyebrow: "Why go back?"

Lin Mo said, "Let's get ready and go to the Elven realm. Aren't there still three divine artifacts there?"

Yin Xue was taken aback: "That's right! The Black Sword was also forged by that old demon king. Since the Black Sword has recognized its master, those three divine artifacts should logically be yours as well."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yue, inside the black sword, couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his mouth.

What kind of twisted logic is this?

In fact, Lin Mo had already set his sights on the three artifacts of the Elven race when he saw the Demon King's Illustrated Guide.

The memories of the Twilight Stone made him realize that he would inevitably have to fight the gods sooner or later.

Therefore, improving combat strength is of paramount importance.

……

The Hundred-Day Fortress.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, but the city walls were already crowded with people.

Horn stood at the very front of the city wall, fully armored, with a long sword hanging at his waist.

He didn't look well.

It's not a physical problem; it's just that I haven't had a full night's sleep in the past few days.

Before leaving, Lin Mo entrusted the Hundred-Day Fortress to him for temporary management. Although it was said to be temporary, the new emperor had just ascended the throne and everything needed to be rebuilt, with a mountain of things to deal with.

The army needs to be reorganized, the city defenses need to be repaired, those officials who colluded with the city lord need to be purged, and border trade needs to be restored...

He slept for less than six hours in three days.

But at this moment, his face looked worse than tired.

Say it again.

His voice was so low that the adjutant next to him almost couldn't hear it.

The scout knelt on one knee, covered in sweat.

The armor was stained with mud and dried blood, clearly indicating that they had rushed back at breakneck speed.

"General, we have spotted the army of the Holy Kingdom of the Tower Kingdom sixty li to the southeast. Their vanguard has already crossed Black Stone Ridge and is heading towards the Hundred-Day Fortress. Their numbers are..."

He swallowed hard.

"At least tens of thousands."

There was a moment of silence on the city wall.

Then, like ripples spreading across water after a stone has been thrown in, the ripples explode.

"Tens of thousands?!"

"Has the Holy Kingdom of the Tower gone mad? Is this a prelude to war!"

"His Majesty has only just ascended the throne, and they already—"

……

"Quiet!"

Horn's voice wasn't loud, but everyone fell silent at the same time.

He turned around and looked out of the city.

The morning fog was still very thick, as thick as a white wall.

I can't see anything.

But he knew that behind that white wall, tens of thousands of troops were marching towards this place.

Footsteps.

He heard it.

It wasn't the sound of horseshoes or wheels, but the sound of iron boots stepping on frozen ground.

Thousands upon thousands of iron boots rose and fell simultaneously, causing the ground to tremble slightly.

In the thick fog, blurry outlines began to emerge.

First came the flags.

The symbol of the Holy Kingdom of the Tower.

A white spire, embroidered on a dark blue flag, looms in and out of the mist.

Then came the armor, a silver-white breastplate.

Row upon row, they emerged from the fog, like a ghostly army stepping out of another world.

The troops were in perfect formation, their steps perfectly synchronized.

A general's flag was raised in the center of the army formation.

Besides the emblem of the Holy Kingdom of the Tower, the flag bears only one large character – “Ze”.

The pupils of those around them suddenly contracted.

"Ze?! It's Zelian's army!"

The adjutant's voice even changed tone.

"That 'Mist General' from the Holy Tower Kingdom? A level 70 Divine Guide?"

"I've heard of him."

Another general's voice was strained.

"His ability is to release a thick fog that covers the entire city, but his men are unaffected. It is said that he has attacked seven cities, none of which lasted more than three days."

"This formation... are they going to attack the city!?"

……

Horn did not answer immediately.

He simply stared at the ever-thickening white fog outside the city.

He remained silent for a long time, gazing at the faintly visible silver armor and spear tips in the mist.

"They're here to negotiate terms."

He finally spoke, his voice flat, so flat that no emotion could be detected.

"His Majesty has just ascended the throne, and his foundation is not yet stable. They think that His Majesty would not dare to wage war against the strongest country on the continent."

He paused.

"The previous lord of the Hundred-Day Fortress colluded with the Holy Kingdom of the Tower. Now that the lord is dead, their messenger is also dead. Using this as an excuse, they can demand a lot of benefits."

The adjutant gasped.

"Given the temperament of the Holy Kingdom of the Tower, they'll probably have to pass through at least a few cities, right?"

The adjutant asked tentatively.

Horn didn't answer, but everyone knew the answer in their hearts.

A loud voice, amplified by a magical hum, echoed from beneath the city walls:

"Listen up, Holy Ancient Empire's garrison! I am Zelian, commander of the border legion of the Holy Tower Kingdom! You murdered our envoy without cause; this is a blatant provocation! According to the agreement between the two countries, this matter must be resolved personally by the Holy Ancient Empire's emperor! Hand over the murderer, compensate for the losses, and open the border—otherwise, my army will seek justice!"

The sound echoed in the morning mist, lingering for a long time.

On the city wall, everyone looked at Horn.

"What should we do?"

The adjutant's voice was very low.

"Should we report to His Majesty immediately?"

Horn gave a wry smile.

"Given His Majesty's personality, the outcome is obvious without even asking."

Everyone was taken aback.

"What was the result?"

Horn did not answer.

He simply turned around and looked at the increasingly thick white fog outside the city.

Looking at the general's flag fluttering high in the mist.

Then he spoke.

Only two words.

"Let's start the war."