Chapter 1065: Contribution, Uncertain Troubles
O'Tohelm was a kingdom of religious fanatics and zealots who did not look kindly upon those who did not worship the same divine being as them.
That's why it was no surprise to any of the kingdoms when O'Tohelm decided to remain neutral despite the fact that Tempest and Malentansium sided with the shadahi who were clear enemies of the Mortal Realm.
But, for O'Tohelm to break their neutrality and choose to launch an offensive assault against Amaharpe of all targets it didn't make any sense.
This piece of unexpected news caused Izroth to frown inwardly.
'Why would a kingdom that looks down on all those who do not follow their way join hands with the likes of Tempest and Malentansium? Or can it be that they're acting independently for their own benefit? Either way, their actions are aiding Tempest and Malentansium. How troublesome.'
O'Tohelm joining the war was inevitable; however, Izroth figured that they would ultimately have no choice but to join hands with Amaharpe, Proximus, and Rosentarus. After all, a world overrun by the shadahi would not be ideal for those of O'Tohelm who were constantly trying to obtain more worshippers.
For O'Tohelm to attack Amaharpe, in Izroth's eyes, was incredibly short-sighted and dismissive of the bigger picture.
'O'Tohelm has a strict hierarchy-almost as strict as the bloodline restriction placed on the skounae. The Order of the Radiant First Light's movement on a large scale would not be possible without authorization from the Holy Emperor.'
In O'Tohelm, none had more status and authority than the Holy Emperor except the Goddess of Light, Primalux. Of course, since the Goddess of Light was a being in the divine realm, in the Mortal Realm, the Holy Emperor's word was absolute to the worshippers of the Order of the Radiant First Light.
'From what I know, the Holy Emperor uses a special method to communicate with the Goddess of Light, Primalux, and follow her will. At least, that is what was written in the books I read in the Amaharpe Palace Library. Is this truly the will of someone above the firmament?'
Izroth was well aware that those in the Divine Realm could not interfere in the affairs of those below the firmament without paying a heavy price.
Therefore, while the Holy Emperor might receive an order to gather more worshippers or increase the faith of the Order of the Radiant First Light followers, it was highly unlikely that the Goddess of Light would instruct them to attack a kingdom fighting against the shadahi. Izroth, "Where did they attack?"
Niflheim, "Their target was Terraharpe. According to my sources, the city has been occupied and fortified by the O'Tohelm forces. No one has been able to figure out their end game. I'm not sure what O'Tohelm is up to, but my guess as to why we were ordered to Danaharpe is so that we can depart toward Terraharpe and help recapture the city."
"Terraharpe? What does O'Tohelm want with an outpost city that was set up to safeguard one of Amaharpe's mineral deposits?'
Amaharpe would suffer a momentary material shortage around that region of Amaharpe; however, it wasn't a huge game changer. At the very least, it was not enough to affect the direction of the war. At most, it was a hindrance. After all, how could a kingdom like Amaharpe have only one source of minerals?
There was also the fact that the Land of Unity, a location with an abundance of rich resources, had been relatively recently captured by Rosentarus and Amaharpe forces. Therefore, even calling it a hindrance to the war efforts was overdoing it.
Izroth, "Terraharpe... It's not a bad target, but it's not one that makes the most sense for an initial strike."
Niflheim, "I had the same thought. But, who knows? Maybe O'Tohelm is short on resources and is desperate for materials."
Izroth, "Perhaps; however, something is telling me that we're missing an important piece of the puzzle."
As Izroth spoke to Niflheim, he traveled at a high speed through Malentansium. He made sure to avoid any potential skounae dwellings or towns along the way so as not to attract too much attention to himself. In the end, he was the person responsible for sending Night Lord Zarolas to the Night Lord's Crypt as well as preventing his resurrection.
Either one of those two feats alone was enough to make him an eternal enemy of the skounae.
That being said, no one knew that Izroth was the one who caused Zarolas to end up in the Night Lord's Crypt. At least, that was before the raid on the Night Lord's Crypt ended.
Izroth looked over his system alerts as his eyes landed on a certain section.
[System Alert: Your feat of defeating the Antumbra of Decay, Night Lord Zarolas has been revealed and acknowledged![]
[System Alert: Your Contribution Points has increased by 30,000! [Total: 46,134.540
[System Alert: Your feat has been recorded as a great contribution to the war effort! [Reward: +500 Contribution Points][]
[System Alert: Your Contribution Points has increased by 500! [Total: 46,634.540
[System Alert: Your fame with the seventh kingdom > has decreased by 10,000 points!
[System Alert: Your reputation with the seventh kingdom > has become Irredeemable! You can no longer gain fame with the seventh kingdom «Malentansium»>! System Alert: You are the first player to receive an Irredeemable reputation with one of the seven kingdoms!
[System Alert: Your world fame has increased by 1,000 points!
Izroth's reputation with Malentansium had sunken to the bottom of an abyss. Without a doubt, he would be attacked on sight by the skounae. Needless to say, it was not as though Izroth feared confronting the skounae. Rather, he simply did not have the time to waste on such uneventful encounters.
'It seems like she kept her word.'
After he defeated Zarolas in her Dream Domain, Aurie informed Izroth that she was unable to reward him properly since his feat could not yet be officially recognized. This was to keep it a secret that an assault was being planned on the Night Lord's Crypt.
At the time, Aurie expressed her regret, as her authority as a Commander was limited. However, Aurie promised Izroth that she would make sure he received a proper reward for accomplishing such an incredible feat once the attack had been completed.
Izroth expected to obtain a large number of contribution points; however, he acquired a massive 30,000 points-nearly double his previous total!
'With the 10% permanent discount I have and the 50% one-time special voucher, I can purchase an item from the event shop worth roughly 115,000 contribution points. There's nothing I have an immediate for, but it never hurts to have a few hidden cards at my disposal.'
Izroth, "Has there been any unexpected news lately? Specifically, related to Malentansium and any new Night Lords?"
There was one other major event that troubled Izroth during the time he was trapped in The Void-The Great Rebirth.
The Great Rebirth selected the most powerful of skounae Dukes and the one selected would undergo a rebirth and awaken as a new Night Lord. If a new Night Lord appeared, it would not take long for the news to spread. However, Izroth was unsure if the ceremony had been successfully stopped or not.
Niflheim, "As far as Zarolas goes, there was no issue after you dealt the final blow back then. In regards to other matters, well..."
One week ago...
NPC Name: War Brigade 1st High Legion High General of the 1st Core, Crimson Dragon Slayer
Caius(???)
NPC Level: ???
A dark cloud of smoke rushed out toward Caius as the High General waved his sword coated in the fire element and slashed forward.
Woosh! Boom!
Caius was sent flying a few meters back before regaining his balance in the air as a serious expression formed on his face.
"It happened again," Caius said to himself as he narrowed his eyes.
Just before Caius' sword could make contact with the dark cloud of smoke, a mysterious force
sucked in all the fire element and mana that surrounded his blade. This greatly weakened his explosive attack power and caused his attacks to show less than half of their original might.
NPC Name: Antumbra of Darkness, Night Lord Xenthula(???)
NPC Level: ???
Xenthula looked down on Caius from above with a cold look in her pitch-black eyes.
"Struggle all you want, High General. The end result will remain unchanged until the end of time." Xenthula stated as she lightly waved her index finger.
The moment she performed this action, the dark cloud of smoke gathered above Caius before shooting down at shocking speeds.
Caius reacted quickly and avoided the dark cloud of smoke; however, the High General knew that he could not outrun the smoke forever.
As Xenthula faced the High General, she could not help but avert her gaze to the ground. She
was surprised that someone present on the battlefield outside of High General Caius was able to break her Nightly Descent: World of Darkness.
"Duke Malkonen, Duke Noresuga, it would seem that there are a few rats attempting to enter the sacred crypt. See to it that they are exterminated. Do not disappoint me." Xenthula said in
a merciless tone.