Chapter 189: America Island – NewYard City
"Hahaha... Your attributes may be high, but your tricks are quite limited," Deryu mocked, waving his hand to summon his holy halo back.
At the same time, Puno, who was still flying in the air, attempted to shield his soul. But no resistance remained. His elemental body crumbled, reverting to his normal human form. Without clothing, without life, he fell like a bird shot down, crashing to the ground with a soft thud.
Thud.
Puno's body, sprawled on the ground, now resembled that of a fallen soldier, lifeless.
"Deryu, we need to leave now. I'm afraid they'll come after us once they learn we've killed their leader," the Faithwarden woman's voice sounded, full of concern. She knew that Puno's death was inevitable the moment Deryu unleashed the Sword of Fate. No one could survive that technique.
"Yes... you're right. My faith energy is also running low," Deryu agreed with a nod. But before leaving, he flew down to Puno's body, calmly taking the spatial ring from his left finger.
Afterward, Deryu returned to the Faithwarden woman's side. They were ready to leave.
"Let's go..." Deryu said simply.
The Faithwarden woman took out a black stone, tossing it into the air, and a black portal immediately appeared out of nowhere.
"All of you... enter," she commanded the civilians behind her.
"Yes, Your Grace..."
"Yes, Goddess..."
The looks on the civilians' faces were filled with admiration and fanaticism. They revered the Faithwarden woman as if she were a goddess they worshiped. Without hesitation, they began entering the portal one by one, vanishing into the darkness.
The Faithwarden woman was the last to enter, along with Deryu. They stepped through the portal, disappearing from Harmony Circle island without leaving a trace.
The two Faithwardens disappeared, leaving behind a city reduced to ruins. Buildings that were once majestic now lay in rubble, leveled to the ground. Clouds of dust and smoke rose high, darkening the sky that should have been clear.
Moments before Puno's soul took its last breath, an unexpected message appeared on the Chat Ras System screen.
[System Chat Message: Human Race of Earth]
[Player (Puno) has fallen. Keep fighting to defend the divine heavenly realm.]
Upon receiving the message, the chat system was flooded with various responses from Earth's rulers.
- (Dunto) "What is this message? What does it mean? Why did it appear so suddenly?"
- (Alex) "Impossible! Puno is a Tier-3 ruler. How could he fall so quickly?"
- (Herman) "I think the system is notifying us of the death of someone who has achieved Tier-3 promotion."
- (Sima) "So, Puno is the first Tier-3 ruler to fall?"
- (Klein) "Yes, you're right... I wonder what the strongest alliance leaders think right now."
...
Thousands of messages appeared in an instant, shaking the chat room due to the system's sudden notification. Instead of receiving a helpful message, they were greeted with sad news that dampened the spirits of the rulers.
***
America Island – NewYard City
A young man stood tall on the cracked asphalt, glaring at the man in front of him with eyes full of hatred. "Damn... this guy is such a nuisance," he muttered, his face burning with anger.
But the young man's attention was suddenly drawn to a message from the system. He glanced at the message, and his expression quickly showed signs of pain.
Not just him, but the other soldiers around him received the same message. They exchanged glances, looking confused. It was the first time they had received news of death since the battle had begun earlier that morning.
"Official information from Mr. Hudson says the system will announce the death of Tier-3 rulers," said a male soldier after reading the alliance's official announcement.
"Crazy… even Tier-3 rulers are starting to fall? How big is the scale of this invasion?" one soldier asked, eyes wide, unable to believe that a Tier-3 could be destroyed in this alien assault.
"I heard the aliens invading our divine heavenly realm are from a race slightly stronger than ours. The World Market Trade Alliance has already released official information," replied his companion.
"Is that so? By the way, where is the main support from the World Market Trade Alliance?" another soldier asked with a frustrated expression.
A few moments ago, the leaders announced that their alliance and the World Market Trade Alliance had reached an agreement to collaborate in fighting off the alien invaders. However, after waiting for four hours into the afternoon, no main reinforcements had arrived.
"You all just keep quiet… why are you still hoping for help from others?" The young man standing tall in front of them spoke with a tone of resignation and irritation. His face showed dissatisfaction, as if reminding them that relying on others would only make them more vulnerable. "Prepare yourselves... let's keep going," he said firmly, his eyes blazing as he reactivated his equipment.
"Yes, President…"
"Understood."
The soldiers shouted in unison, activating their gear. All their equipment glowed blue, with some emitting a purple shine. The weapons they held varied, but the most common were long swords.
Meanwhile, the young man in front of them had already prepared. Seven circular stars, each a meter in diameter, hovered around him, creating a fearsome aura. In his right hand, a long golden sword shone brightly, its energy making the soldiers behind him feel a slight sense of fear.
Yes, this man was the current President of America.
"Is the President going to get serious this time? They've been fighting for 30 minutes, but no results yet," a soldier said nervously, feeling the pressure from the energy being emitted.
"Stop talking… let's get ready and support the President!" shouted a middle-aged man who seemed to be their captain, scolding the soldier who was still chatting in the midst of this dire situation.
Hearing the reprimand, the soldier who had spoken earlier quickly shifted into serious mode. Both his hands now glowed with sky-blue light, ready to activate his skills at any moment.
"Move out!"
As soon as the command was given, William flew up, followed by his seven circular stars. After reaching a sufficient height, his gaze locked onto the middle-aged man standing below, who still stood calmly on the cracked asphalt.
Tch...
The condescending look from the middle-aged man filled William with deep disgust. He loathed it when someone looked down on him like that.
"Star Shoot," William said in a calm tone.