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

Lin Mo is dead.

This news, or rather this speculation, spread throughout the mainland in a very short time.

This stuff is like ink dropped into clear water; even a single drop will spread uncontrollably.

First, the mercenaries in the wasteland discovered that the Ghost Patrol had disappeared.

Then a few daring monster lords tentatively re-entered the hunting grounds that had been cleared out by the ghost army.

Then the Goblin Merchant Guild's airship flew over the wasteland for three whole days without seeing a single ghost.

The news spread like a plague from the wasteland across the entire continent, reaching every city, every tribe, every tavern, and every person's ear.

Some people couldn't believe it, some were overjoyed, and others just sat silently in the corner, repeatedly stroking the rim of their wine glasses, lost in thought.

……

Orcish grasslands, tribal tent.

Sag sat by the campfire, leaning on his bone cane, his aged face flickering in and out of the light from the leaping flames.

He was surrounded by chiefs from various tribes, but unlike the last tribal assembly, this time no one stood up to take pictures of broken bones, and no one clamored for a redivision of the hunting grounds.

The young wolf chieftains and bear warriors were eager to try, crowding outside the tent, rubbing their hands together in anticipation.

"With Lin Mo dead, we can take back the hunting grounds."

"The human empire has taken over so much good land, why should they all get to eat it all?"

"Those despicable humans do not deserve these things."

……

Listening to their commotion, Sag simply sat in front of the campfire, slowly drawing totem patterns on the ground with his bone staff, without saying a word.

A young wolf warrior couldn't resist squeezing in from outside the tent, unleashing his level 90 aura without reservation, his voice rough and irritable.

"Elder Sag! The people below can't wait any longer! Lin Mo is dead, what are we waiting for? All those ghosts have retreated, the Human Empire is now just an empty shell! Are we just going to watch others seize territory?!"

Sager slowly raised his head, his cloudy old eyes staring at the young soldier for a very long time, so long that the soldier subconsciously took half a step back.

Then he spoke, his voice hoarse and deep, each word as if carved into a stone slab with a bone staff.

"Have you seen Lin Moyao in the Elf Forest?"

The young soldier paused for a moment, then shook his head.

Sag asked again, "Have you seen Lin Mo in White Tower City?"

The young soldier opened his mouth, then shook his head.

Sag slammed his bone staff into the ground, and all the totem patterns on the staff lit up, casting a ghostly green light that made the entire tent look like a ghostly realm.

"I've seen it, I've seen both. In the Elf Forest, he lined up to kill demigods in front of all the demigods on the continent, dragged the Pope into the Death Arena in White Tower City, and cleaved the Holy Tower Kingdom in two with a single sword strike atop the Papal Palace. You want to seize his empire? Go ahead, but I won't give the order, nor will I let any shaman bless you with ancestral totems. Go alone, and if you die, bury yourself alone. Don't implicate the tribe."

The soldier took a few steps back, his face grim.

The others also wore serious expressions. Inside the seemingly quiet tent, several spiritual exchanges had already taken place.

"Shaman, what's going on? When did we orcs become subservient to humans?"

"I think he's been scared by Lin Mo."

"I don't care, I'm leading troops to the Human Empire tomorrow! Anyone want to come?"

……

The sacred site of the Shifu tribe, the Rock Heart Hall.

The walls of the hall are made of solid granite blocks, without any carving or decoration.

It retains the original, rough texture it had when it was dug out from deep underground.

A dozen or so level 90 experts from the Stone Skin Clan sat around a stone platform in the center of the hall.

The leader was an elder of the Stone Skin Clan who had just emerged from seclusion in their ancestral land.

His defensive patterns were thicker than anyone else's, and the edges of each pattern faintly revealed a blood-red aura of malevolence.

This means he has just broken through to the demigod level.

His voice was like two pieces of granite rubbing against each other, rough and harsh.

"Lin Mo is dead, and all the ghosts have retreated. I personally searched the wasteland for three days and didn't find a single one. Now, the Human Empire is just a stone placed by the roadside; whoever reaches out first gets it. This is the best opportunity, no, this is the only opportunity. Who among you is willing to come with me?"

After a few moments of silence beside the stone platform, one after another, the Stone Skin Clan experts raised their fists.

Their fists slammed onto the stone platform, each punch leaving a deep fist mark on the granite surface.

……

Ironforge, Dwarven Forge, Hall of Forges.

Tie Xin stood before the anvil, clutching an urgent military report from the human empire in his hand.

The military report contained only a few lines, with concise and clear wording.

The ghost patrols on the wasteland have all disappeared.

Tie Xin slammed the military report onto the anvil, then looked up at the dozen or so dwarf generals standing in front of him.

Each of them possessed strength exceeding level ninety, each was clad in full heavy armor, held a warhammer in their hand, and their eyes gleamed with complex emotions.

"Listen up, all of you."

Iron Heart's voice wasn't loud, but it echoed round and round under the dome of the forging hall.

"My father, Tie Mo, said that anyone who dares to touch the human empire is a sinner of the dwarves. Anyone who wants to go, fight me first. If you win, you can do whatever you want. If you lose, you'll have the word 'traitor' engraved on your hammer and take it to your coffin."

At this moment, Tie Xin exuded the majesty befitting a dwarf king, suppressing all the dwarf generals with his own power.

None of the dwarves sitting below dared to utter a word of rebuttal.

……

The Vampire Castle, Dracula's study.

Dracula IV slumped on the sofa, still swirling the wine glass he never parted with.

Several vampire scouts who had just returned from the wasteland stood before him, reporting on the latest developments in the withdrawal of the ghost army.

A young vampire viscount stood beside the sofa, his voice tinged with a barely suppressed urge to try.

"Count, rumors are spreading that Lin Mo is dead. Should we take this opportunity to reclaim those hunting grounds in the wasteland that have been taken over by the ghosts? The Stoneskin Clan is already gathering their forces. If we don't act soon..."

Dracula slammed his wine glass down on the coffee table, the bottom of the glass making a crisp sound as it hit the marble surface.

He raised his eyelids to look at the young viscount, his tone still as languid as ever, but every word seemed to be soaked in ice water.

"Everyone says Lin Mo is dead, but the only evidence is that the ghost has disappeared. But does that really prove Lin Mo is dead?"

He paused, took a sip of red wine, and put down the glass.

"In any case, our Blood Fortress has a small population and doesn't need that much territory. Why gamble away our entire clan?"

The young vampire was taken aback: "You mean..."

Dracula shrugged: "Just watching the show."

……

In the Elf Forest, beneath the Ancient Tree of Life.

Aize stood on the observation platform at the highest point of the ancient tree, his emerald eyes piercing through layers of glowing vines, gazing towards the direction of the human empire's capital.

The elder stood behind him, his aged voice carrying a hint of cautious probing.

"Your Majesty, the news has not been confirmed. The absence of ghosts in the wasteland does not mean that Lin Mo is dead. Perhaps he has only temporarily withdrawn his army of souls, or perhaps he has encountered a battle in the rift that requires him to concentrate his strength."

Aize did not turn around.

He took the Sunbow off his back, and the lava patterns on the bow slowly flowed in the dim light of the ancient tree.

His voice was soft, but every word was like an inscription carved into the elven clan rules, leaving no room for doubt.

"Whether Lin Mo is dead or alive, the debt of gratitude the Elven race owes him will never disappear. The Star Elves returned from the moon not because of Gao Yang's mercy, but because of Lin Mo."

After saying that, he immediately gave the order.

"Activate the teleportation array, gather the Spears of the Sun, and immediately rush to the aid of the Human Empire."

He paused, then hung the Sun Bow back on his back, turned and walked towards the teleportation array under the tree canopy, leaving behind only a sentence that silenced the Grand Elder completely.

"Even if Lin Mo is really dead, his empire shouldn't fall while we're still alive."

……

At this moment, the human empire, which should have been the most tense, was surprisingly quiet.

He Yuan stared silently at the empty throne. Lin Mo had indeed disappeared, but that did not mean the human empire was finished.

Not long ago, Lin Mo's clone, the Emperor, gave Hunter Axe two Divine Essence Crystals, which enabled him to successfully break through to the demigod realm.

The human empire also has demigods in charge.

And that's not all.

He Yuan turned around, and a middle-aged man holding a long knife stood behind him.

This man's eyes were filled with vicissitudes, and he exuded the aura of a demigod.

Standing beside him was an absolutely beautiful woman.

The woman exuded a divine aura, as if she were a goddess or an angel from the divine realm.

He Yuan looked at the two of them and spoke.

"Are you sure you want to help the human empire at this time?"

The man and woman exchanged a glance, and then the man spoke in a firm tone.

"Our children were persecuted to death by the church, and their souls were not even left behind. If it weren't for Lin Mo, we would still be in the dark."

The woman also spoke.

"The only thing we can do now is help Mr. Lin Mo defend his empire."