The Path to Lordship Begins in the North

Although the black mud in the erosion wave looks like a human, Alberto thinks it's more appropriate to describe it as a swarm of insects, since this black mud is really like insects that can't be killed off.

The sensations within the sea of ​​consciousness were magical. Alberto could feel himself firing tirelessly and using magic without end, but he felt so powerless in the face of the endless waves, especially after seeing the God of War behind him being eroded once again.

Here, time seems to lose its meaning.

Alberto had originally wanted to ask the elf if he could find an opportunity to communicate with the outside world, since when Alberto came to his senses he had no idea how much time had passed.

Anastasia originally thought that this would be the same as before, that although the people of the tower tried their best to resist, they still could not stop the tide from eroding the God of War.

But for Anastasia, as long as the God of War is prevented from using the power of projection to reach the real world and create chaos as before, then she has already succeeded.

However, at this moment, a shooting star suddenly appeared in the "sky" of the divine kingdom.

No, it wasn't just a wisp, but many more, more and more meteors fell from the sky of the divine kingdom, crashing into the waves like raindrops.

army?

Anastasia was stunned for a moment; this was Anjou's army.

"Cassius? What brings you here?"

Anastasia and the others were not the only ones surprised; even Alberto was somewhat taken aback when he saw Cassius fall beside him.

“The boundary between the depths of consciousness and the real world has become thinner, so I have come, Your Majesty.”

Cassius's face remained expressionless, but Alberto roared, "Do you know that once you go deep in, there's no turning back? Are you sending those soldiers to their deaths?"

"I know, Your Majesty."

Cassius looked at the falling Anjou soldiers and said, "Everyone knows."

Anastasia, standing to the side, seemed to understand something and exclaimed, "As expected of the technology of the old empire, it can actually directly enter the depths of the sea of ​​consciousness?"

Cassius replied, "Generally speaking, it's not possible, but fortunately, technology has advanced and the limits have indeed become thinner, so there's a chance."

"Isn't now the time for technical exchanges?"

Alberto watched with a pang of sympathy as the soldiers continued to fall onto the battlefield. The soldiers didn't seem to quite understand what was happening, but as they hit the ground, Alberto suddenly felt a connection with them re-established.

The mental network actually took effect in this sea of ​​consciousness.

So these soldiers immediately joined the battle against the tide after landing.

This made things much easier for the members of those towers, but in Alberto's eyes, every soldier who joined the battlefield had essentially already declared physical death, since once they entered the depths of their consciousness, they could never return.

Cassius immediately saw through his friend's thoughts and said, "Your Majesty, everyone knows their own fate, so Your Majesty need not worry about it."

"Besides, Your Majesty, how will you know you can't return from the depths of your consciousness if you don't try?"

Of course, this was mostly just a consolation.

"So what? You committed suicide for this ridiculous reason?"

These soldiers were all trained with great care by Alberto, and even when facing his close friends, Alberto still became somewhat emotional.

Moreover, it wasn't just these soldiers he was facing; his close friend had also come along.

"Now that you know the boundary between reality and the sea of ​​consciousness is thinning, can't you try contacting me first? You know I'm already gone, what would happen if Anru lost you too?"

If spittle existed in this world, Alberto would have sprayed Cassius in the face.

"No, Your Majesty, the reality after you fell is worse than you imagine... After all, the God of War is the greatest religion in Anjou."

Cassius wiped away non-existent spittle from his face and said, "Although the projection of the God of War returned to the sea of ​​consciousness, the followers of the God of War in Anjou became even more fanatical after that. Some of them even began to collude with the demons and the Avars to stir up wars all over the continent while His Majesty was asleep."

"There are more and more madmen and cultists, and even a contagious mental illness has emerged. If we can't bring the God of War back to normal, Anjou and the surrounding countries will be destroyed sooner or later."

Alberto understood that there was probably more to Cassius's words than just what Cassius had said.

Anjou was in danger because of the increasingly fanatical followers of the God of War and cultists, not because of internal strife after its slumber. Alberto could not imagine how much effort Cassius had put in to stabilize the situation, based on this alone.

"Who is now on the throne?"

Alberto immediately asked the most crucial question.

"Without a successor, you remain the King of Anjou. It's just that your cousin, a candidate acceptable to everyone, has taken on some of the work for you."

Cassius didn't seem too keen on the topic, and continued, "We have a general understanding of the situation. We must remove this contamination; only by removing it will those bizarre mental anguishes cease."

"That's why we've come here, Your Majesty, not only for you, but also for the whole of Anjou!"

Having said that, Cassius knelt on one knee and said, "Your Majesty, give the order!"

In that instant, Alberto truly felt like he was dreaming. Looking at the black sludge that resembled a swarm of insects, Alberto roared in his mental network, "My soldiers, prepare to fight!"

Integration, formation, and counterattack—the previously scattered Anjou soldiers found their footing on the battlefield almost instantly. For the first time, a well-organized human army appeared in this sea of ​​consciousness, and for the first time, they clashed head-on with the black sludge.

"For Anjou! For His Majesty! For the great God of War!"

The soldiers of Anjou roared and used weapons that appeared in their minds to meet the pollution head-on.

It's hard to imagine that this is a group of followers of the God of War and ordinary humans protecting the God of War behind them.

Humans are protecting the gods.

Although these soldiers could only guard a small area in the face of the black silt that resembled ocean waves, if the black silt was the ocean waves, then these soldiers were like the reefs in the sea, unmoving and steadfast.

The Anjou flag appeared out of thin air in the soldiers' faith and was raised high, just like the faint but firm hope of mankind.

There will always be insects, madness, and despair in every era, just like what is happening in the real world now, but no matter the era, humanity has never lacked courage.

Although Anjou's soldiers could not change the course of the battle, they had greatly reduced the pressure on the God of War behind them. The God of War even slowly straightened up and shook off all the mud on his body. At least the situation was much better than before.

"How's it going with Capet?"

Once the situation had stabilized, Alberto inquired about the situation in the real world.

"It was thanks to the governor of Cape that the situation in Anjou was able to stabilize quickly. Although it is hard to admit, Cape is now humanity's last hope."

Cassius said, “The Governor of the North is maintaining stability in the real world. As long as he does not encounter any accidents, the situation in Anjou will at least stabilize as well. That is why Your Majesty, I can come to see you with peace of mind.”

Both Alberto and Anastasia breathed a sigh of relief. That was good, that was good. Alberto had to admit that as long as the governor was alright, at least humanity could hold the line.

If that governor also sank into the sea of ​​consciousness, then everything would be over. The two largest kingdoms on this continent would simultaneously lose their leaders, and Anjou couldn't even imagine the chaos that would cause.

But at that moment, a bright door suddenly appeared beside everyone, and a figure stepped through the door and appeared in front of them.

The figure was dressed in a distinctive black military uniform with a shawl draped over his shoulders. The shawl was adorned with an exquisitely painted North Wind Bear pattern. Even though Alberto had never seen the person in person and had only seen images of him, he recognized him at a glance.

"Hello."

Linde had intended to make a grand entrance, but for some reason, the expressions of those people deep within his consciousness were all... very complicated. So, the thousands of words that were originally meant to be both flamboyant and dignified were reduced to a simple greeting.

Corresponding to this "hello," a stunned Alberto had only two words in his mind: "Damn it!"