A different world game? A different world game!

The invitation to the World Conference issued by the High Council of the Night's Watch was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples across the world of order.

As the birthplace of the Night's Watch, the continent of Anveen—a land almost entirely controlled by human forces—reacted with particularly complex and profound emotions.

The letter was swiftly transmitted to the core of the power centers of the various Anvian nations via encrypted information nodes in the Eastern Wilderness.

empire.

This is the largest national power in humankind.

The imperial capital, with its magnificent council halls.

Sunlight streamed through the towering stained-glass windows, casting dappled shadows on the polished obsidian floor.

The Emperor, a ruler who had been tempered by iron and blood, sat upon the throne, a symbol of supreme power.

Time has left its mark on him.

His temples were graying, and there were fine wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, but the sharp, hawk-like gaze in his deep-set eyes had never dimmed, and the imposing aura surrounding him was still breathtaking.

At the time of the Night's Watch's rise, he was a newly enthroned emperor who had fully seized power.

He had grand ambitions and a desire to unify all of humanity.

However, these ambitions and aspirations were destroyed in the ensuing calamities and were ultimately shattered by the Night's Watch.

Of course, this does not mean that the emperor did not do a good job.

However, the era in which he was born was simply not suitable for outward expansion.

Over the decades, he also became a leader of a power with top-notch intelligence, martial prowess, and authority.

The attendant respectfully presented a letter sealed with special energy runes.

His Majesty the Emperor took it, his fingertips tracing the distinctive Night's Watch emblem on the envelope.

The Night Watch...

He unfolded the letter, his gaze steadily sweeping over each character.

The letter was concise yet weighty.

The story describes the impending doom of the Void Maw to determine the direction and location for landing, and invites leaders of all Order factions to gather in the City of the Ring to discuss the formation of a "World Union" to deal with the apocalyptic catastrophe.

The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; the only sound was the faint rustling of the letter turning in the emperor's hands.

He read the letter expressionlessly and handed it back to the attendant.

The attendant immediately passed the letter to the imperial ministers who were lined up in two rows below.

Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Finance, Minister of Military Affairs, Chief of the Imperial Guard, Representative…

Each minister who received the letter displayed a different expression on their face—solemn, worried, scrutinizing, and even a hint of barely perceptible resistance—but they all tacitly remained silent, none of them breaking the heavy silence first.

Only after the last minister placed his letter down did His Majesty the Emperor tap three times lightly on the cold armrest of the Iron Throne.

The crisp sound of knocking echoed in the main hall.

"Have you finished reading it? Tell me, how should the Empire respond?"

The emperor's voice was deep and carried an undeniable power.

The Minister of Agriculture, a slightly overweight, somewhat cautious-looking middle-aged man, was the first to step forward.

He bowed slightly, his tone tentative: "Your Majesty... forgive my ignorance, but regarding the gigantic maw in the void beyond the world mentioned in the letter... have the lords of the Imperial Guard made any... definitive observations?"

His question, seemingly seeking to verify the authenticity of the information, was actually aimed at the high-level imperial forces capable of observing beyond the world barrier, intending to get the military or legendary powerhouses to speak first.

Before he finished speaking, a hint of disdain flashed in the eyes of several ministers.

The Minister of Agriculture comes from a family with a deep-rooted background and many legendary figures in the family. How could he not know about the crisis outside the barrier?

This feigned ignorance was merely a facade, stemming from the close relationship between his family and the Night's Watch, making it inconvenient for him to directly express his support on such a sensitive issue.

Seated at the head of the Imperial Guard to the emperor's left, clad in mithril heavy armor and exuding an aura as deep as the ocean, the Imperial Guard Chief, a legendary warrior of level thirteen, spoke directly, his voice booming like a bell.

"Your Majesty, everything stated in the letter is true. Beyond the world barrier, the tides of the void are surging, and the shape of its 'giant mouth' is now clearly visible, its corrosive power growing stronger day by day."

"The Night's Watch's warning that 'time is running out' is by no means an exaggeration."

His words were resolute, instantly pinning the urgency of the threat from the void to the main hall.

A suppressed commotion spread among the courtiers, but it quickly subsided.

As the Grand Master of the Guard stated, the Night's Watch's continuous propaganda and frontline reports over the past decades have deeply ingrained the concept of "Void Doomsday" in people's minds.

From initial panic to subsequent numbness, and now to an almost habitual heaviness, Anway's top management had long anticipated this protracted disaster.

Fear remains, but it no longer easily triggers chaos.

"Hmph!" A minister dressed in fine clothes with a stern face snorted and stepped forward to retort, his words aimed directly at the Night's Watch.

"Your Majesty! This so-called 'World Conference' reveals its wolfish ambitions! Inviting all the world's leaders to gather in the City of the Ring? Who knows if this isn't a trap set by the Night's Watch?"

"If the Night's Watch harbors treacherous intentions and uses this opportunity to 'behead' and suppress dissidents, our empire and even the world order will crumble in an instant!"

The minister's family had suffered heavy losses and their foundations were shaken in the previous wave of the "serf revolution." They hated the Night's Watch to the core and naturally seized every opportunity to slander them.

"idiot!"

He rebuked a minister across from him who was equally high-ranking but clearly more pragmatic.

"If the Night's Watch really wanted to get rid of someone like you, why would they need to go to such great lengths, or set such a blatant trap?"

"The power in their hands could crush your family like an ant! Your alarmist talk here is nothing but venting personal grievances, disregarding the survival of the empire!"

The minister's family wisely chose to cooperate during the revolution, and even benefited from it, supporting the Night's Watch's campaign against the Void.

"You! How dare you insult your colleague! You...you must have already sided with the Night's Watch and become their lackey! Standing here supporting them, intending to overthrow the Empire!"

The reprimanded minister instantly turned red in the face, his anger flaring, and he pointed at the other party, hurling insults.

"Shut up!" His Majesty the Emperor slammed his hand on the armrest. His voice was not loud, but it carried a cold authority that instantly froze the argument that was about to erupt.

"I have summoned you all here to devise a way out for the empire, not to listen to your shrewish bickering! If you dare to be insolent again, don't blame me for not showing any mercy!"

The two ministers, their faces flushed red as if they had been choked, retreated back into the ranks, their hostility undiminished. Silence fell over the hall once more, but the atmosphere grew even more tense.

The Commander of the Guard spoke again, his voice steady and powerful: "Your Majesty, I believe that we must attend this meeting. Regardless of the Night's Watch's internal considerations, their core objective is undoubtedly to consolidate their power and fight against the Void."

"This is a matter of life and death for the world, and no one can stand aside. The Night Watch's construction of the 'Heart of the Kingdom' in the western border of the City of the Tower over the past year, as well as their incredible 'data-driven construction' technology, are all preparations for the upcoming great war."

"The City of the Ring Tower has become the central hub and a place of hope for the world's resistance against the Void. If the Empire is absent from this meeting, it will lose its rightful place and voice in the future order."

At this moment, a representative of the parliament, representing the interests of the emerging class and ordinary people, also stepped forward, speaking in a calm but firm tone.

"Your Majesty, the Grand Master is quite right. Looking at the Night's Watch since its rise to power, even though its actions have caused some... vested interests," he glanced at the scathing minister, "their fundamental purpose has always been to enhance the world's overall fighting strength in order to combat the Void."

"No one can deny this. It is precisely the existence of this 'justice' that has enabled the Night's Watch to gather such a massive force in such a short time without being attacked by the masses."

"They are currently the only force capable of truly confronting and effectively destroying the void."

These words, like a stone thrown into a deep pool, resonated deeply in everyone's hearts.

Many ministers, especially those high-ranking legendary figures or powerful nobles who truly held the core power of the empire and were well aware of the terror of the void, actually agreed with this point deep down.

The emergence of the Night's Watch, while disrupting the old order and causing growing pains, also brought a glimmer of hope in the fight against the devastating Void Cataclysm.

This is an extremely complex mindset.

They both feared the growing power of the Night's Watch and had to rely on them to fight for the world's survival.
They were both dissatisfied with the storm of change it had stirred up and secretly glad that such a powerful force was standing in front of them.

The rise of empires proceeded in this delicate balance of hostility and dependence, fear and anticipation.

“Your Majesty,” a wise and experienced minister advised, “since the Night’s Watch has made it clear that all powers are invited, we can expect to hear from other continents and other powers soon.”

"We might as well wait and see how the elves of Tate, the orcs of Bestar, and all other parties respond, and what the Night's Watch will say about it, before making a decision."

The courtiers engaged in a heated discussion about whether to go or not, and weighed the pros and cons, resulting in a variety of opinions.

His Majesty the Emperor listened in silence, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the armrest.

As the clamor subsided and all eyes once again focused on the Iron Throne, the Emperor finally raised his head.

"No need for further discussion." His voice carried an undeniable decisiveness. "Issue the decree: begin preparations for the diplomatic mission immediately. I will personally travel to the City of the Ring Tower for this World Conference."

"At the same time, announce my decision."

"Your Majesty!" the harsh ministers and some conservatives exclaimed in alarm, trying to dissuade them.

"My mind is made up!" The emperor's gaze swept across the crowd below, carrying an undeniable and authoritative aura.

"The apocalypse of the void is not a matter for one country or one region. If the world is overthrown, can the empire survive alone?"
"Now that the Night's Watch has set the stage, the Empire cannot be absent from this meeting that will determine its future. Go and prepare!"

Although there were still voices of opposition to this decision, it also brought a secret sigh of relief to many people, including the Chief of the Guard and civilian representatives.

The empire ultimately chose to confront the crisis head-on rather than retreat and protect itself.

The sooner a party expresses its opinion, the sooner it will gain a certain position in this world conference.

If we can truly provide a Void Crisis, we can gain even greater rewards.

In stark contrast to the solemn atmosphere of the Imperial Court, a lively "battle for spots" was unfolding in the core meeting hall of the Commercial City-State Alliance.

The lords representing the twelve strongest city-states of the alliance sat around a huge round table, arguing heatedly with their faces flushed and spittle flying everywhere.

The core of their argument was no longer "whether to go or not"—which they saw as unnecessary to discuss—but rather "who to go!"
"Gentlemen! This concerns the Alliance's future influence and commercial interests within the 'World Federation'!"

A wealthy-looking lord, wearing an enormous gemstone ring, slammed his hand on the table.

"Our 'Golden Sail City' has the deepest cooperation with the Night Watchers Merchant Guild! Look at how many of the basic alchemy potions, rune components, and even those enchanted farming tools circulating in the market are supplied through Golden Sail City?"

"My presence representing the Alliance best demonstrates our unbreakable partnership with the Night's Watch! It also has the greatest potential to secure future trade quotas!"

"What a joke!" Another lean, capable, and sharp-eyed leader immediately scoffed, pulling out a medal engraved with the Night's Watch emblem and the words "Soul Guard" and slamming it on the table.

"See that? My son, a full member of the 'Crimson Sword' Night Watch Soul Guard squad! A true-blue Night Watchman!"

"As their father, I'm naturally part of their family! If I go, it'll be a natural progression, and communication will be seamless! My son can also help smooth things over internally and secure more benefits!"

"Hmph, son? Which family doesn't have a few descendants making a living in the Night's Watch?"

The third leader, a portly merchant dressed in a magnificent silk robe, spoke slowly but with an air of confidence.

“There is a stable secondary void rift outside our city-state of ‘Rockport’! The Night Watch’s defense forces are stationed there year-round, fighting alongside our city guards and living and eating with them!”

"As their leader, I visit them every few days and I'm so familiar with their commander that we're practically inseparable! The logistical support and troop rest that our city-state provides to the front lines are real and tangible contributions!"

"Isn't this kind of life-or-death friendship more reliable than any trade cooperation or son-son relationship? It means that no one else can be it!"

The three leaders went back and forth, neither giving an inch, while the other leaders were also envious.

However, he knew that he was no match for these three in terms of the depth and contribution of being a “close member of the Night's Watch”, so he could only watch helplessly from the sidelines and occasionally chime in to help those he was on good terms with.

The rise of the Night's Watch, especially its global network of merchant guilds and the "blessing" technology it brought, has already brought immense benefits to the alliance of commercial city-states.

Although the initial "serf revolution" also affected the alliance, it led to a power shift between the two most stubborn and conservative city-states.

But for the surviving, more astute rulers, that was merely the elimination of an inconvenient obstacle.

The revolution unleashed productivity, brought in more skilled workers with side jobs, stimulated commercial prosperity, and allowed them to earn far more gold coins and contribution points than ever before.

Driven by considerations of survival and self-interest, the Alliance has long been one of the most steadfast pro-Night Watch forces on the continent of Anveen.

To them, the World Conference at this moment is a huge opportunity for the expansion of their future business empire. Whoever can get this "ticket" will be able to gain an advantage for their city-state in the future "World Federation".

Therefore, we must fight for it, we must seize it.

Soon, those who were watching the show also joined the struggle, but they were helping the side that was closer to them.

They started arguing fiercely in an instant.

Such a meeting would likely drag on for at least half a month before a result is reached, and during that time they would be using underhanded tactics.

It doesn't have to be bloody.

But it must be filthy and disgusting enough. (End of Chapter)