wjnovel Chapter 1080 Rewards and Punishments
Chapter 1080 Rewards and Punishments
The Hall of the Universe was even more solemn on the second day than the day before.
The huge circular tiered seating area was still filled with representatives, except for a few kings who had stormed out and declared they would live or die with their homeland, unlike the first day.
However, beneath this seemingly complete list lies a heavy, suffocating silence.
The monarchs of small countries who were whispering and exchanging disgruntled glances in the outer seats yesterday seem to have had their spines removed today.
They sat upright like puppets, their eyes slightly uneasy as they stared at the central table or intently at the smooth surface in front of them, trying their best to conceal their thoughts and emotions.
The invisible source of pressure in the air is the alarming news that spread rapidly like a plague through clandestine channels this morning.
Those kings who stormed off, their journey home became the end of their desperate dash.
Almost at the moment they stepped into the country, long-simmering public resentment, like dry tinder, instantly turned into a raging fire.
A series of swift "revolutions" erupted in the core cities of their respective kingdoms.
The common people, who had long been oppressed by aristocratic privileges and bound by feudal shackles, overthrew the corrupt ruling machine with astonishing speed and power under a kind of inexplicably efficient organization.
The throne was smashed, and nobles were arrested or expelled.
The angry populace didn't even wait for the tedious trials before sending those outraged tyrants to the guillotine; those who were slightly more "merciful" were thrown into dark, damp dungeons to await their final verdict.
A new "parliament," a term that sounded harsh to most of the kings present, was quickly elected, and members of parliament representing the interests of various classes swiftly filled the power vacuum.
Just like a few years ago.
It all happened too suddenly, too precisely, too... coincidentally.
No one would believe that there wasn't an invisible giant hand precisely manipulating things behind the scenes.
The spearhead was silently pointed at the master of the city of the Ring of Towers—the Night's Watch.
The Night Watchmen carried out their "killing the chicken to scare the monkey" in the bloodiest and most direct way.
The deterrent effect, like a cold steel needle, pierced the illusions of all those who harbored侥幸心理 (a sense of侥幸, or a belief that one can get away with something).
The thought of resistance was instantly frozen, leaving only a deep-seated fear and a profound understanding of the Night's Watch's ruthless methods.
For them, the most terrifying thing is losing their identity and the nobility they were born with.
The discontent still churned within, but at this moment, it was firmly suppressed beneath a mask of silence.
The only sounds in the hall were suppressed breathing and the rustling of fabrics.
At the head table, Alysse, the host of the meeting, calmly observed everything.
She made no further comment, simply tapping her knuckles lightly three times on the smooth alloy tabletop.
"Tap, tap, tap."
The crisp tapping sound, like a stone thrown into a deep pool, instantly broke the silence and attracted everyone's attention.
Alyris stood up, her silver-grey eyes sweeping across the room, her voice clear and steady, without a trace of emotion: "Then, let's continue with the second day of the meeting. Let's continue with yesterday's agenda."
She paused slightly, her gaze sharpening like a knife: "First of all, I must make it clear again, and finally confirm: the world's last line of defense must be the continent of Lebia, and it must be the city of the Ring Tower beneath our feet."
"This is not a choice, but the only answer under harsh reality."
Her words confirmed the vague information that many people present had obtained through various channels, and now that she had spoken them herself, they were all the more authoritative and impactful.
"I believe you have all heard that His Majesty Kanah's earthly divine kingdom—an extension of His will and a manifestation of His power—is located here."
"The Night's Watch is doing everything in its power to try to expand the territory of God's kingdom."
Areris's voice carried an undeniable weight: "The spatial rules of an area covered by the radiance of the divine kingdom will be completely anchored. Even if the void were to invade in its entirety and enter the 'endless darkness' stage, it would be unable to tear a rift within the divine kingdom's territory. This is the absolute, final sanctuary."
"Only the power of the gods can build the ultimate barrier against the void. This is the law of the world, which is independent of anyone's will."
She glanced around at the ashen-faced kings. "That's just how it is, nothing else matters."
The hall was deathly silent.
The pain of abandoning his homeland and the desire to survive tore fiercely at his heart.
Finally, the king of a small, populous but weak country from the south raised his hand with trembling hands, his voice dry with despair.
"Commander Alyris... If... if only the city of the Ring Tower and its surroundings are safe, how can we accommodate the billions of people fleeing from all over the world?"
"Chaos, hunger, disease... How do we survive here when the whole world is on fire?"
His question revealed the deepest fear in everyone's heart.
Areris turned her gaze to him, not with disdain, but with a solemn understanding: "Our efforts to expand the boundaries of our divine kingdom will not cease, as this will secure us greater living space."
"But more importantly, the Night's Watch never said they would abandon the other regions of Lebia and cower within their divine kingdom to await their demise!"
She turned to the side and greeted the figure beside her who had been quietly floating and radiating a soft silver glow.
"This is Lord Popote, a subordinate god of His Majesty Kana, who is in charge of space and teleportation."
Popper nodded slightly, and subtle ripples appeared in the space around him.
"Under Lord Pope's guidance, the Night's Watch is working hard to build a space monitoring and defense network covering the entire continent of Leviathan."
Alyris's voice carried a hint of strength, "Our goal is to minimize the number and scale of void rifts opening within the continent of Lebia, and to precisely pinpoint their coordinates, range, and intensity the moment they appear."
She opened her arms as if to depict a grand strategic vision.
"With this system, we will no longer be blindly and passively taking hits. We can establish multi-layered defense zones and divide the mainland into different strategic zones."
"Outside the core area of the divine kingdom, a buffer zone, a blocking zone, or even... a delay zone that can be abandoned if necessary."
"Using the terrain, pre-built fortifications, alchemical traps, and most importantly—our assembled army—we will gradually wear down, block, and annihilate the surging void creatures!"
“Simply put,” her voice was resolute, “we are going to wage a three-dimensional defensive war on the continent of Lebia. Internally, we will defend against fissures; externally, we will block the floods. We will buy the maximum buffer space and time for our core survival zone.” Ariris’s gaze swept across the entire area, especially towards the more powerful nations and legendary figures.
Seeing that although there was worry in their eyes, they were mostly weighing and thinking, and there was no obvious opposition, she continued.
"Having identified the final line of defense and the most extreme scenario, I will now elaborate on the support and commitments the Night's Watch will offer you upon joining the Alliance and accepting unified command."
These words immediately changed the atmosphere of the entire hall.
All eyes instantly focused on Ariris, and even the monarchs of the small countries, who were immersed in fear, subconsciously straightened their backs.
Although they harbored resentment towards absolute leadership of the League and were heartbroken at abandoning their homeland, the Night's Watch had built up decades of reputation.
Fairness, efficiency, and keeping one's word.
This leads them to instinctively expect a "fair" compensation plan.
Although this fairness may not necessarily be compensation given to them.
This was one of the key reasons why they ultimately chose to stay last night.
“First,” Alyris’s voice regained its usual clarity and order, “For all nations that must relinquish their original territories, the Night’s Watch will fully assume all logistical support for all their armies—whether soldiers or officers—that are willing to accept the unified command of the Alliance.”
"From the finest standard weapons and armor, alchemical equipment, to daily necessities such as food, medicine, clothing, and energy supplies, everything is provided without any additional burden on any country."
"At the same time, the Night Watch will provide basic survival guarantees for all civilians from various countries who flood into the Leviathan continent during the strategic retreat, ensuring that they do not die of hunger and disease."
“Of course,” she said, her tone shifting slightly to a pragmatic tone, “the right to survival corresponds to responsibility. All civilians capable of working must participate in production or construction work within their capabilities during resettlement to maintain the operation of the sheltered areas. This is a fair exchange and a necessity for survival.”
After this announcement, some low murmurs arose in the room, but it did not cause a major stir.
Just as Alyris had predicted, the Night's Watch's strong logistical support was one of their most convincing attributes, and their monopoly on the continent's major trade networks gave them the confidence to make such a promise.
Most of the delegates, especially those from countries with weak military forces, nodded silently, as this at least resolved their biggest concerns: the survival of their troops and the resettlement of civilians.
“However,” Ariris’s voice suddenly rose, with an unprecedented solemnity, “these are merely the foundation for survival. What follows is the Night Watch, or rather, the true ‘reward’ of the world’s will for your struggle in the apocalypse.”
"award?"
This word surprised everyone.
In the shadow of destruction, survival is a luxury, let alone rewards.
What they're thinking about now is the Night's Watch, at least to give them more weapons so that they can survive longer and stay longer when they're used as cannon fodder to resist the world's crisis.
It's best not to film kings and nobles going to war.
Just as everyone was wondering, Alyris took a step back and gave the main seat to Popper.
This silent spatial deity slowly floated forward a short distance.
Should we change speakers?
And it was spoken by a true god himself?
The delegates were filled with doubt and uncertainty, but in the face of a deity, even a god, they instinctively suppressed all their distracting thoughts and turned their awe-inspiring gazes toward Poppot.
His divine power was as deep as an abyss. Even though Poppot did not release it intentionally, the pressure of his status, which originated from the essence of life, was enough to make those below the legendary level feel suffocated.
Popper's soft silver glow seemed to brighten, and her voice, no longer shrill, became ethereal and grand, resonating deep within everyone's soul, carrying a sense of vicissitude that revealed the secrets of the astral plane.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Void Apocalypse... is not a misfortune unique to the world of Aegira. It roams the vast astral plane, devouring countless civilizations and annihilating countless worlds."
"It is called 'Doomsday' because only one in ten thousand worlds can survive it. The vast majority of worlds completely collapse and turn into stardust in that endless purple-black torrent."
Her words were like a cold cosmic wind, making everyone feel once again the absolute despair of that annihilation.
However, Popper abruptly changed the subject, infusing his voice with a peculiar, hopeful power:
"However, the laws governing the astral plane, though cruel, also contain a glimmer of hope. Those scattered worlds that struggle to survive in the apocalyptic torrent and ultimately manage to endure will touch the very essence of the astral plane with their sacrifices and the indomitable will they demonstrate. They... will receive a 'gift' from the astral plane."
"A gift?"
Emperor Augustus VII couldn't help but whisper aloud. He exchanged a shocked look with the orc lion king beside him, and then they both looked at the four elven kings opposite them.
really!
The Sun King Elandil remained calm, while the Night Queen Morvila seemed to have a faint hint of understanding on her lips. The Elder of Nature Orophon and the Stargazer Ilúvatar were completely absorbed in their own thoughts, as if they already knew everything.
The elves' vague "long-term plan" during last night's secret talks has finally been answered.
A blinded rage rose in the hearts of the two emperors: Damn the elves! How could they keep such a core secret concerning the fate of the world hidden so deeply!
Popper waited for the small disturbance to subside, her voice like a lighthouse piercing through the fog.
"This supreme gift from the astral plane is known in ancient records as the 'Golden Age.' It was an era that could drive any world mad."
“‘Golden Age’…” Countless representatives murmured this magical phrase, their eyes shining with an unprecedented light.
"It is not a fleeting phenomenon, but a great era that will last for thousands of years."
Popper's voice carried an ode to a miracle, "In these long years, the entire world will be bathed in the favor of the astral source. The laws of the world will become active and harmonious, and the potential of life will be greatly stimulated."
Her words were like sparks thrown into boiling oil, instantly igniting the desires in everyone's hearts:
"More geniuses will emerge like mushrooms after rain! The career bottlenecks that have plagued countless strong individuals will be easily broken! The path to legend will no longer be out of reach! Even—"
Popper's voice suddenly rose, booming like a great bell, shaking everyone's soul, "Those powerful figures who have long stood at the pinnacle of legend but are stuck before the gate of divinity... you will clearly touch that gate! You will have the opportunity to push it open and step into... the true realm called 'God'!"
boom--!
The words "become a god" were like a mental bomb detonating in the Hall of the Universe!
All restraint, all fear, all calculation were utterly shattered by this ultimate temptation at this moment.
Countless gazes instantly turned scorching hot, and breathing became heavy, like bellows.
The legendary powerhouses trembled violently, their eyes flashing with terrifying light. The shackles that had bound them for countless years seemed to have loosened a crack in Popper's description.
Even the four elven kings at the main table, though trying their best to maintain a calm exterior, had hands gripping the armrests so tightly that their knuckles turned white, revealing the turbulent emotions churning within them.
They knew some information, but they didn't expect it to be like this. (End of Chapter)