People in Terra, governing a bizarre little country

"If you want to rest, if you want to experience a different life, Lateran will always welcome you. And I believe there is no country on earth that would not welcome you."

Ernst turned his head with some surprise and glanced at Ivangelista XI.

It's hard to say how he felt when he heard those words, since strictly speaking, Ivangelista XI was probably less than a fraction of his age.

It's funny how seriously he's telling himself to rest. It's like a kid posting a dark and edgy message on social media, only to have his dad find out and reply, "You'll understand when you're my age."

However, Ivangelista XI was indeed well-intentioned, and, to be honest, Ernst was indeed a bit tired at times.

Fortunately, the doctor seems to be recovering slowly. Perhaps after some time, when more and more of his memories have returned, his pressure will be greatly reduced.

As the music on the stage drew to a close, the "September Uprising," symbolizing Letania's last war, was performed in opera form, slowly unfolding amidst a stirring symphony imbued with a spirit of resistance.

The Witch King, who reigned supreme, treating his people as mere expendable resources and his nation as a testing ground, met his end. His tyranny backfired; surrounded by countless rebels, two heroes stormed the tower, captured it, and mercilessly threw it out of a window.

His body fell with a thud, the horn snapped, and his head exploded like a fruit. Cheers erupted, and the music softened, as if the shadow of war had finally dissipated, and Letania had finally regained its long-awaited peace and tranquility.

Ernst glanced in Herlinmat's direction, wanting to see what his expression was.

Somewhat unexpectedly, the Black Queen Helena seemed to have lost focus while watching the performance. Her gaze was fixed on the masked actor on stage, who was playing the role of Ivignad, and she remained silent for a long time.

As for Otto the sheep, Otto's emotions were very stable.

He even nodded rhythmically, like a musician without a baton, keeping time in a theater in his mind, with a slight smile on his lips, which looked somewhat hellish.

Ernst looked away with admiration.

Putting everything else aside, Ernst couldn't even come close to these people when it came to being shameless.

The storyteller from Yan, Xie Lag, was enough to make Xie Lag's ears burn with fear just by recounting his tale of the "Trial of the Holy Stone." Let alone having it performed, and not only that, but making him watch it from below, and not only that, broadcasting it to the entire world!

If it were him, he would dig out a three-bedroom apartment with his toes and move in right away!

What? You're saying it's not that bad?

That means you don't understand. Look at the great god Yeragand; his personality is clearly just like Ernst, the "Holy Son"! If the temperature in Seraphim could rise because of this, what's so impossible about Ernst being a little thin-skinned?

But, then again.

Perhaps because of his conversation with the doctor yesterday, Ernst is now feeling quite paranoid and on edge.

He felt that watching Letania's musical was metaphorical.

The witch king, who was like a god, ruled the entire country. People were often killed or turned into eternal stone statues. The whole country became the witch king's experimental field until the hero who rushed up the tower defeated the witch king who had fallen into madness and restored peace to the world.

Ernst sighed inwardly.

Don't bring up the Precys rhythm.

His impression of Priscilla was actually quite good. After all, whatever the specifics of what happened back then, they were still just speculating. And Priscilla had indeed never harmed him; in fact, he had helped him many times.

A gentleman judges by actions, not intentions. Ernst may be wary of others, but he does not want to regard Precys as an "enemy."

Believe first! For now, believe!

Once the threat of the "evil spirits" is resolved, if the stargate that is said to connect to the lunar observation base of the ancient civilization can be repaired, perhaps he can "revisit his old haunts".

Maybe the truth will come out in time.

Chapter 1031 Manfred: Watch out for the flowers!

N Sami, the endless ice plains.

Twilight, like molten lead, soaked the sky, the clouds and the ice surface melting into a single, iron-gray hue in the chaos. The ice, seemingly frozen for millennia, cracked with jagged wounds, ancient bubbles solidified deep within the dark blue fissures, refracting a phosphorescent, cold light. A sweeping, frigid wind ripped invisible strings across the ice plain, snowflakes flowing like weightless mercury along the surface, occasionally rising in swirling, pale, ghostly vortexes, like malevolent spirits scavenging for prey, hurling bullet-like ice crystals at any life that dared to invade this pale land.

Many people say that the endless ice fields are a forbidden zone for life, and this description is actually quite accurate.

The behemoth Sami used its power to freeze the northern part of the land into its current state. It was not actually guarding against evil spirits, but against humans who were full of curiosity and a desire to explore, but who lacked a sense of proportion and awe for the unknown.

Demons are powerful because of their understanding; they are formless chaos, the opposite of all rules, and beings that modern humans cannot comprehend.

Therefore, their influence on Terra often begins with "making people aware of it".

The oldest and deepest fear of humankind is the fear of the unknown. But the unknown is not the same as complete ignorance. Ignorance brings fearlessness, because you won't fear something you know nothing about. Only when you gain knowledge of something will you simultaneously possess the ability to react to it.

[Sami] wanted to sever this connection at its source. The endless ice plains couldn't stop the collapsing beings; they didn't eat or drink, and needed no supplies whatsoever. Theoretically, as long as they kept heading south, they could leave the ice plains. But the endless ice plains could stop humans. People feared death, so they rationally retreated from the vast and dangerous ice plains, marking out safety zones for their own protection.

As a result, the pollution will not be known to more people, and it will not spread.

In fact, from this perspective alone, the existence of the barrier layer above Terra is quite significant—if it weren't for the barrier layer blocking the demons' view and forcing them to enter Terra only through the special "back door" of the Stargate, Terra would have already fallen.

It was because Precys built the barrier layer and Sami guarded the Stargate that Terra was able to survive under the noses of the demons for so long.

This is why Ernst doesn't think Precys is necessarily a bad person—some of her behaviors may indeed be extreme, but we can't just talk about her extreme behavior without talking about the reasons behind it.

He's not like Aihara Ryu, who gets protected by Ultraman and then points at the ruins and yells, "Look what you've protected!"

It's normal that many things can't be done perfectly. If Precys can provide a reasonable explanation, Ernst can fully accept his approach.

After all, Qi had personally taken action to destroy the Sarkaz faction led by Theresis and the Military Council in order to help the Sarkaz who were on his side.

That's just the way it is. If you're not satisfied with this ending, I suggest you talk to the Sarkaz people, who have been wandering for tens of thousands of years and finally have a home, and see what they think. Ernst can only do what he feels is right.

Even a flawed god is still a god. Moreover, Ernst, like Precyth, was actually just a rather special "human".

Such people should not be easily judged.

If we were to summarize using Ernst's words from his previous life...

—Whether they know me or condemn me, only history will tell.

"call--"

Exhaling a breath of cold air, after hearing the message from the Sami Snow Gods transmitted through the cipherboard that "Ernst will personally lead a team to search for Mariam," Niezley silently glanced into the depths of the ice field.

Ernst was his enemy, but he was also a benefactor of the Sarkaz. The fact that the Carrion Eaters were able to escape unscathed after the Battle of Londinium, arrive in Sami, and transform into Guardians through the Unfrozen Spring was largely due to Ernst's matchmaking.

From this perspective, Niecilei felt somewhat guilty after hearing the news.

He shouldn't have made Ernst take the time to make a special trip for such a trivial matter.

He accepted Ernst's deal to guard the icefield defense line, securing a way out for his people. In theory, he should be responsible for all the problems that arise on the northern defense line.

As a rare old Sarkaz bannerman who is very old but also very proud and responsible, he is really ashamed that this happened after only taking over the defense line for a few months!

Especially considering it's such a small problem: a reckless explorer has ventured beyond the designated boundaries, and whether he falls into trouble or dies, he doesn't care at all.

That guy deserved it!

What do personal life and death matter? Ernst should be busy with much bigger things. If his energy is being wasted on these matters, it only shows that those he has helped haven't tried hard enough or fulfilled their responsibilities!

Thinking of this, Niezley raised the Scepter of the Carrion in his hand.

The eerie green light that once terrified the entire Duke's coalition has now faded considerably, now tinged with a faint, icy blue glow.

This doesn't mean that Niezley has become weaker, but rather that the Guardians are empowered by the giant beasts as part of the Icefield Defense System now recognized by the Sami.

借助这股力1量，他们0便能0与冰7原的意志6沟通9，完1成一4些萨3米的传统项6目。

For example, using ciphertext to transmit information between tribes, migrating tribe trees and using their protection to ward off the shadowy figures that roam the ice plains at night (a form of collapse pollution), and communicating with the Sami.

It's worth noting that all of these functions are essentially real-time. This means that even before the establishment of the [Paradise Network], the Sami already possessed methods for cross-regional communication.

Indeed, the more primitive something is, the more modern it is; nomadic technology is the best in the world!

Using the power released by the scepter, Niezirei made contact with the squad that had been sent deep into the ice plains.

Manfred and Ersula led the squad.

Since the end of the Battle of Londinium, when the Carrion Legion and a small remnant of the Military Council traveled to the Icefield via the Lich's warp portal, Manfred and Ersula have never set foot outside the Icefield again.

In later studies of Sarkaz history, they were referred to as the "Contradictory Generation".

They experienced the rule of Theresia, the last powerful Sarkaz lord, and after the Battle of Londinium, witnessed the complete collapse of the Demon Empire and the establishment of Kazdelnia, a republic ruled by non-Demon Lords. Their minds underwent the most intense ideological clashes in this turbulent era. Compared to ordinary Sarkaz who lacked a strong sense of national identity, Manfred and Ersula, who held certain positions but were powerless to change the overall situation and were simply swept along by the tides of time, were the most "contradictory."

They lacked the composure of veteran Sarkaz like Nezire, who had "seen it all" with the destruction of nations, and they also lacked the nonchalance of the younger generation of Sarkaz (such as Hibiscus and Red Bean from Rhodes Island) who seemed to think, "What the hell? The demons still have nations?" They lacked experience in dealing with such situations and therefore needed more time to process this shock.

Manfred and Ersula's solution was simply to work!

Work hard, work fiercely, once you start, you become ruthless, lose yourself, and work like your life depends on it! Good! What a naturally born physique!

They are always on the front lines, dealing with the collapsing entities involved, dealing with the Ursus soldiers who are trying to seize Sami territory, and now, as they search for and rescue in the [Unknown Area], they are on the front lines!

Their squad had disappeared from any of the locations marked on the map, but fortunately, Niezley could still contact them by amplifying the signal of the [Guardian] through the sorcery between the Sarkaz.

"Manfred, where are you?"

A blizzard-like noise reached Shen's ears, seemingly mixed with other sounds, but it was too chaotic for Niecilei to hear clearly.

Four, after a brief delay, Manfred's voice rang out:

"Lord Niezley, you absolutely cannot imagine what we have discovered!"

Manfred's pupils contracted slightly. The data on the instrument panel in his hand was already scrambled. The "-?" temperature display sent a chill down his spine. The blizzard behind him lashed his back, and the biting cold reminded him that he needed to stop immediately and quickly use Originium Arts to keep warm and survive.

But he could no longer move. Half a meter in front of his boots, dark purple petals, swirling with the spring tide, crashed through the permafrost, forming a straight, almost eerie dividing line.

On this side of the ice field, the wind, seemingly reaching absolute zero, whipped ice crystals into the cold-weather masks, carving fine lines. Behind the crystal-clear dividing wall, clusters of lily-of-the-valley flowers reached out their stamens towards the nonexistent sun. A twenty-meter-high ice cliff, like a shattered cathedral dome, hung above the sea of ​​flowers, but the aurora refracted by the ice ridges vanished abruptly upon touching the blossoms. Waves of purple irises surged along the unseen, curved barrier, each flower's stamen shimmering with a phosphorescent glow, turning the expedition team's orange-red cold-weather suits into an eerie crimson.

All the search and rescue team members' goggles were fogged up, half from the frost condensed from their breath and the other half from the warm, humid air rising from the sea of ​​flowers.

Manfred felt his eyes were playing tricks on him, so he instinctively turned his head, trying to get confirmation from Ersula beside him.

But Ersula had already stepped into the sea of ​​flowers before him. Her face was filled with a strange daze, as if she had forgotten her surroundings. She took off her special helmet for warmth, bent down, and reached out to pick up a purple flower from the ground.

Manfred's pupils contracted sharply again. The moment Ersu stretched out her hand, he felt a strange urge to follow her into the depths of the flower sea, to enjoy the warm spring sunshine, and to fall asleep amidst the refreshing fragrance of flowers.

But at the critical moment, the [Root of Ticaz] in his arms came into play. The power contained within this Sarkaz [artifact] instantly awakened Manfred's mind, allowing him to come to his senses in a daze.

Wait a minute, I'm a war criminal!

You made me think I had won!

And even if they win against 8, in the world that Teresa promised 7, these three things wouldn't exist! (4 (2 ()

Without any hesitation, it only took him three seconds from realizing the cognitive bias to taking action. Manfred, having recovered, grabbed Ersula, who was trying to put the flower seed in her mouth, turned around, and began his escape with all his might.

At the same time, he issued his final warning to the other end of the connection:

"Lord Hana Niecilei, be careful of the flowers!"

Chapter 1032 The Second Stargate

"In summary, this is our understanding of the unknown areas deep within the ice sheet, as well as the entire process of the first search and rescue operation."

Nasti, whom we haven't seen for a long time, appeared on Rhodes Island in person this time. Kazdelnia is temporarily being managed by the old lich Fremont. With him and Theresa on the front lines, the floating city won't cause any trouble.

Nasti, through Sarkaz's connections, obtained firsthand information about the depths of the ice plains from Niezre.

Kazdelnia also has private connections with the Guardians, which is something everyone tacitly acknowledges. As long as the veil is not lifted publicly, no one will say much about it.

If a reckoning were to be made, the Grand Dukes who placed Therese in Londinium should be held accountable for the series of tragedies that followed in Victoria's demise. But unfortunately, for now, order in Terra is being maintained by this group of heartless individuals.

Ernst simply nodded, not delving into why Nasti knew about what had happened on the ice field faster than him, but instead asked with concern:

"How are the wounded?"

Nastie's serious expression softened a little, and her gaze towards Ernst softened further.

Sometimes, the details of a person's behavior can reveal a lot. If it were someone else, they would probably only be concerned about the situation of the flower field that appeared in the tundra. Even someone who considers themselves kind would probably only express concern for Mariam and his group, whose whereabouts are still unknown.

But Ernst was different; his first concern was the casualties of the search and rescue team. 4.

Even the smallest detail was enough for the banshee, with her unparalleled sensitivity to language and writing, to discern what kind of person he was. And how could Nasti not be pleased with Ernst's equal treatment, this "even Sarkaz"?

She knew perfectly well that what Sarkaz needed was not privilege, but precisely this kind of equality.

So, even knowing that the topic wasn't one to laugh, she still tried to soften her tone and shook her head slightly at Ernst:

"Thank you for your concern for the Tikkaz."

"Manfred and Ersula have both been isolated. Both have varying degrees of collapse paradigm contamination, with Ersula's being more severe, experiencing some issues with her self-awareness. Manfred is in slightly better condition, but not by much. The rest of the search and rescue team are in relatively good condition, only exhibiting varying degrees of hallucinations—likely because Manfred and Ersula, as commanders, entered the garden to investigate first, preventing the others from actually approaching it."

Nastya gave a brief overview of the search and rescue team's situation.

Simply put, Ersula now sees herself as fertile soil, needing to be sown and fertilized to grow beautiful flowers. To achieve this, she tries to put everything around her into her mouth.

When Nasti said this, her cheeks inexplicably flushed, as if she were a little embarrassed.

Ernst didn't quite get it, but it was actually because Nastie had concealed part of it.

Ursula's exact symptoms should be the urge to stuff anything into her body, from Sarkaz greatswords or crossbows to a cup of water, a handful of snacks, or even a handful of dirt—she accepts anything that comes her way.

Niezire tried to stop her, but even the mighty King of the Three Rotten Ones couldn't awaken Ersura—after he took everything from the room, Ersura simply began gnawing on the ground. And when Niezire used witchcraft to seal her mouth, preventing her from putting anything in it, Ersura simply started using other parts of her body.

They spared no effort in using their eyes, nose, and ears.

Forced to the brink of despair, Niezley could only attempt to completely seal her away with witchcraft, but the results were still unsatisfactory—after becoming completely unable to move, Ersula's vital signs began to deteriorate rapidly.