Chapter 351 – Hunger and Glory

Netheril’s Glory

Clang!

Joni’s daze lasted less than a tenth of a second. Almost simultaneously with the horrific scene unfolding before his eyes, the raging divine Battle Aura surged once again through the shattered Royal Hall.

“You… you… what have you done, you bastard?!”

Master-Level Combat Skill—Charge!

Thick Battle Aura instantly enveloped Joni’s blade, while hypersonic speed granted him terrifying momentum. The ground beneath his feet exploded violently, accompanied by the ear-grating sound of space cracking around him. Joni transformed into a pale yellow beam, charging straight toward Punk!

Boom!

Following Punk’s spell, an even more deafening explosion erupted in the Royal Palace. The overwhelming divine Battle Aura from Joni’s strike burst beyond the Royal Hall, reducing a nearby building to rubble.

However, Joni’s attack never reached Punk. The moment “Kinetic Burst” was cast, Punk had already prepared an “Anywhere Door” spell—he had anticipated Joni’s enraged strike. After all, if the one-armed Strongman before him weren’t Joni Zordas, he wouldn’t have charged forth like an furious lion.

Now, almost simultaneously with Joni’s “Charge,” Punk took a small step backward into the colorful portal. By the time Joni’s blade arrived, Punk had already reappeared on the opposite side of the Royal Hall.

“Mr. Zordas, I find your rage incomprehensible. If I heard correctly, just ten seconds ago you called those Nobles cowardly deserters. Fleeing on the eve of war! Such behavior is unquestionably treasonous in any nation. In that light, granting them painless deaths was an act of mercy!”

Facing the furious Joni and Ben Lajie, who had just regained his composure with a look of astonishment, Punk remained as expressionless as ever. His voice carried no extra emotion, as if he had merely dealt with some trivial matter.

Yet in the Royal Hall, where even the floor had been shattered, Punk’s calm demeanor starkly contrasted with Joni’s fury.

“Damn you, Punk Cyan! Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

Hearing Punk’s calm and steady voice, Joni—a Master-Level powerhouse after all—seemed to regain some rationality. If a real fight broke out here, regardless of the cause, Ben Lajie would undoubtedly side with Punk. At that point, not only would a one-armed Holy Warrior struggle against two Master-Level Casters, but his War of Glory would certainly be ruined. Thus, Joni suppressed his impulse to charge forward recklessly.

“Don’t twist the truth, you despicable, shameless—”

“Enough, Mr. Zordas. What’s done is done. Unless you can resurrect the dead right now, barking like a mad dog is pointless. You’d be better off thinking about what to do next!”Faced with Jiaoni’s frantic rage, Punk remained as calm and composed as ever, his icy sarcasm just as sharp and incisive.

In truth, although Jiaoni showed signs of hysteria, unless he had gone as mad as Monbay Windbeak, Punk was ninety-nine percent certain Jiaoni would soon suppress his anger. The cost of turning against Punk meant the Maple Leaf Kingdom would simultaneously provoke three Master-Level powerhouses—including former allies—and offend the Thought of Truth, a price Jiaoni couldn’t bear. Even if Jiaoni did turn hostile, Punk wouldn’t fear him in the slightest.

As expected, events unfolded exactly as Punk predicted. Though Jiaoni still appeared furious enough to make his hair stand on end, he ultimately relaxed his left hand gripping the sword hilt.

Compared to his anger over Punk killing someone openly in front of him, Jiaoni was actually more anxious. He didn’t care much about the lives of those nobles he had already labeled as cowards. What concerned him now was how their deaths would affect his “War of Glory.”

“Cyan! Don’t you know these nobles control vast wealth and private armies? Two-thirds of the Maple Leaf Kingdom’s military is in the hands of the Twelve Families, but…”

“But what? Precisely because of that, you should quickly send people to seize their assets. Otherwise, when their families get the news and scatter, that’ll be the real trouble!”

“…And what about food supplies? The network maintaining trade routes is complex and delicate. Once destroyed, it can’t be rebuilt in a day or two. The Maple Leaf Kingdom has suffered famines for years, relying entirely on food imports. Now with winter here, the food supply… Damn it, Cyan! Look at the mess you’ve made!”

“Hmm, you’re right. This is indeed a good thing!”

Seeing Jiaoni had controlled his anger, Punk knew the timing was right. His carefully prepared dose of bitter wisdom was due:

“It might not sound pleasant, but Mr. Zordas, you’ll have to admit—your glory and courage may not awaken the ignorant poor, but hunger and suffering often turn the most cowardly into fearless demons. At the very least, famine will spare you the trouble of recruitment. Just tell people the Dragon Roar Kingdom’s abundant food is their only hope for survival, and the starving masses will unleash unimaginable power!”

Punk’s voice remained as cold and sinister as ever, but even Ben Lajie, long accustomed to his icy tone, felt a chilling dread spreading through his heart.

“Madman! Monster!”

Standing atop the wind-swept ruins of the Royal Palace, both Ben Lajie and Jiaoni simultaneously thought of these horrifying words.

Undeniably, Punk’s proposal challenged the very limits of humanity. Even veterans like Ben Lajie and Jiaoni needed time to digest such extremes.The bitter wind still howled through the fractured stone crevices, while a thin wisp of cloud had unknowingly obscured the sunlight above the Royal Palace—though the day appeared clear, experienced farmers knew such deceptively fair weather precisely heralded the approaching footsteps of a blizzard.

“Cyan…”

Jiaoni, who had casually settled on a jagged rock, remained silent for a long while before speaking slowly, seeming to want to say something, but… a panicked voice interrupted him.

“Report… Lord Zordas, it’s terrible! Temples across all regions have sent urgent messages—a plague… an unprecedented plague… has broken out!”

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Perhaps somewhat incongruous, but considering recent strict oversight, I must state:

“Ahem, the thoughts and viewpoints expressed in this book are purely fictional, with no connection to reality. Minors are advised not to view this content.”

(End of Chapter)