I became a god through archaeology in the Wizarding World.

Just as Rhodes and his group were braving double gravity and heading into the darkness deep underground, the surface of the royal capital, two hundred meters above the ground, was experiencing its darkest hour before dawn.

The top-floor laboratory of the Necromancer's Tower.

There's no suffocating gravity like underground, but there's an atmosphere of restless anxiety that's even more despairing than the underground.

Mortimer stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, his eyes, burning with ghostly flames, fixed on the outside.

In the distance, flames soared into the sky from the direction of the slums, and the purifying hymns of the Morning Star Church drifted faintly on the night wind, like resounding slaps to his withered face.

"Purify... heresy... for the sake of the light..."

Mortimer let out a hoarse, cold laugh, his fingers digging deep into the cracks in the windowsill. "So this is the Church of the Morning Star, so this is the Iron Duke. You want to trap me here to die? You want me to starve to death like a stray dog ​​without food?"

Behind him, the laboratory was in a mess.

Several trembling apprentices were kneeling on the ground, not daring to raise their heads.

The once abundant corpse bank is now empty, and the source of fresh soul fragments has been cut off.

The Iron Duke's military police sealed off all entrances and exits, not even a fly could get in.

And that damned brat Rhodes not only didn't hand over the ring, but he also disappeared like a ghost, leaving Rhodes with only endless trouble.

"tutor……"

A core apprentice mustered his courage and spoke, his voice trembling: "We just received news that the church has destroyed all three of our gathering points in the lower city. Bishop Cecil has declared that he will file a lawsuit with the council after dawn, demanding that you be stripped of your priesthood..."

"Release from teaching position?"

Mortimer whirled around, his black robe billowing like a dark cloud. He walked up to the apprentice and placed his withered hand on the man's crown.

"They think this is a political struggle? No, this is war."

"Since they've cut off my supply lines and don't want me to live..."

A mad, resolute glint flashed in Mortimer's eyes: "Then I'll turn the entire capital into my personal morgue!"

"Snap!"

The apprentice didn't even have time to scream before his life force was drained, turning him into a dried-up corpse lying on the ground.

Mortimer stepped over the corpse and walked to a huge alchemical pool in the center of the laboratory.

The pool was filled with a thick, dark green liquid that emitted a nauseatingly sweet odor.

This is his most treasured, forbidden research: [Corpse Spores].

This is an extremely unstable bio-alchemy product.

It doesn't seek control, it only seeks destruction.

The infected person will die in a very short time. The magic power and corpse energy in the body react violently, and finally explode like a flesh bomb, spreading the spores to all living things within a ten-meter radius.

"Damn Rhodes, I have no choice but to start the Corpse Torture Project ahead of schedule."

"I've prepared for so long, I won't give up so easily. The storm will eventually sweep everything away..."

Mortimer pressed the lever beside the alchemy pool, his voice icy cold: "Open all the gates of the underground drainage system. Send these little darlings... to the Iron Duke and those greedy merchants."

"Let's make this city lively."

……

Five o'clock in the morning, in the western district of the royal capital, at the Black Iron Army camp under the command of the Iron Duke.

This is the core of the capital's defense forces, where five thousand elite military police are stationed.

As usual, the cooks in the kitchen turned on the tap leading to the underground water channel, preparing to draw water for breakfast.

"Gurgle... gurgle..."

The water that flowed out had an eerie pale green hue and a faint sweet taste.

"This water seems a bit strange."

The cook frowned, but didn't think much of it, assuming the water pipes were rusty.

Half an hour later, the first batch of soldiers who got up for morning exercises drank this water.

Ten minutes later, the first scream rang out on the playground.

A soldier in formation suddenly clutched his stomach and collapsed to the ground. His skin turned emerald green at a visible speed, his veins bulged out like earthworms, and his whole body swelled up rapidly like an inflating balloon.

"Medic! Call a medic right now!"

His comrades had just surrounded him.

"Bang!!!"

A dull thud.

The soldier's body exploded.

There were no flames, only green flesh and blood splattering everywhere and thick poisonous fog.

The three soldiers closest to the scene were splattered with blood and flesh. They frantically wiped the filth from their faces, but just a few seconds later, their skin began to turn green and their bellies began to swell.

A chain reaction has begun.

Screams, explosions, and alarms echoed throughout the military camp.

The once orderly military camp was instantly transformed into a living hell.

Meanwhile, in the most bustling commercial district of the capital, on the street where the gilded roses are located.

The market had just opened in the early morning, and early risers and noble servants were selecting fresh vegetables.

The underground drainage well cover was suddenly forced open by a huge pressure, and green mist gushed out.

Several homeless men collapsed beside the manhole cover, their bodies convulsing and swelling before exploding into pieces amidst screams.

Panic spread like wildfire.

……

The Duke's residence, the war command center.

"Bang!"

The Iron Duke Balthazar smashed the sand table in front of him with a punch, his rock-hard face now covered with bulging veins of rage.

"Exploding corpses? Plague? In my military camp?!"

The Duke's roar made the windows rattle.

Colonel Vance burst in, sweating profusely, holding an urgent battle report: "Sir! It's not just the military camp! Explosions have occurred in the commercial district, the lower city, and even several drains near the noble district! Mortimer... that madman poisoned the sewers!"

"How dare he?!"

The Iron Duke was incredulous; this was a declaration of war against the entire kingdom!

He's just a third-ring archmage, how dare he? He's digging his own grave!

But the Iron Duke soon realized that Mortimer no longer cared.

That old devil knew he was doomed, so he wanted to take everyone down with him before he died.

Or perhaps he had a bigger scheme, which was simply exposed beforehand.

"My lord, what should we do now? The church is trying to purify the area, but the spores are spreading too fast! If we don't take action, half the capital will fall!"

The Iron Duke took a deep breath, and the anger in his eyes gradually turned into a cold killing intent.

He walked to the wall and drew the heavy sword that symbolized the highest military command in the capital.

"Pass on my orders."

The Duke's voice was as cold and hard as iron: "Martial law is hereby declared throughout the city."

"All blocks are sealed off. No one is allowed to move around freely. Anyone who violates this rule will be killed without exception."

"Mobilize the magic cannon regiment and surround the Necromancer's Tower. Since he likes playing with explosions..."

The duke turned around, his eyes flashing with a destructive light: "Then I'll blast his tower to smithereens!"

"But sir, what about the academy..." Vance hesitated, after all, it was the wizards' territory.

"Fuck the academy!"

The Duke roared, "This is war! Notify all the spies still out there, including that brat named Rhodes... never mind, that greedy fellow is probably already in hiding."

"In short, from now on, entry into the capital is permitted, but exit is not! Not even for the king..."

As the piercing alarm blared through the sky, a massive magical barrier enveloped the entire capital.

The streets were deserted, save for fully armed military police and monsters lurking in the shadows.

The chaos on the ground reached its peak.