Civilization: Beyond Two Worlds

"—Why!"

Griffin Williams made the same roar.

No demeanor, hysterical.

He laughed wildly, cried, roared, roared, and burst out with strong emotions.

A bereaved dog is barking wildly.

He is like a clown, his rage is so incompetent, his weeping is so pathetic, his humiliation and despair are so insignificant, no prayer, no curse, no madness, no catharsis, can't change his destiny, no way change the outcome of the situation.

—Like thousands of mortals who have endured injustice since ancient times.

The Grand Speaker of the Arcane Council, the powerful Supreme Mage, the legendary Arcane King, suddenly realized something during the countdown to his life...

So does he.

Manipulated, fooled, controlled, exploited.

It will only cry out in despair to a powerful force that is hard to resist and a cruel fate.

But the people outside are different from him.

— because someone is willing to lead them.

Because some people are willing to give them weapons and armor, guide and vent their anger, lead them fully armed to kill in front of the exploiters, use sharp blades and roars, and ask a question! Varied! What!

And he, and he...

— and he could have had such an opportunity.

Griffin laughed wildly, roared, and thumped his chest.

He thought that he was different from miserable mortals and could choose his own destiny, but now, the nightmare suddenly woke up, and he suddenly found that he was no different from the most humble and pitiful people.

They are all pitiful creatures whose fate is involuntary and cannot protect anything.

The questioning that resounded on the battlefield and the furious roar of the warriors had already announced his end. In the face of this anger that was enough to change the color of the world, everything in him would be shattered, annihilated, and wiped out.

Betrayed by former followers.

Reviled by former loyalists.

Hostile to former advocates.

Tombstones are cast aside by thousands of people, names become absolute taboos, past deeds and achievements are obliterated, and lives will be searched for by all countries, and the fact of betrayal will become an eternal stain on the country of the Austrian Law Council. , Countless years later, it will be mentioned by the world, family, blood, allies, students, old department... people related to him will be implicated, and they will never be able to turn over for a lifetime.

He laughed wildly.

Such an end... such an end...

Just like a dog - not even a dog!

Yes, but.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the battlefield, and the frantic laughter gradually ceased. He saw people who were as desperate and lost everything as him, those soldiers whose minds were controlled and killed like wild beasts.

They were once glorious and noble soldiers, and they were also the most ordinary people, with joys, sorrows and fears, achievements and goals, families and careers...

Take control now to fight a war without glory.

Will be mercilessly killed at any time.

Controlled by the ruthless, cruel and tyrannical evil force, the fate is inexorable.

like...

Just like me.

-But.

them. them.

- They're not like me either.

The things I saw in the corner of my eyes seemed to be magnified infinitely in the field of vision. Maybe it was the brain's automatic defense mechanism under great pressure, or it was because of another person's motive for dying. Soon, a thought took root and grew vigorously. In the boundless madness and pitch blackness, rise to the sky.

Griffin ripped off his collar, his hair disheveled, his beard smeared with tears, his face dripping like a ferocious dog, staring at Phaethon.

Words burst from his teeth.

"Turn that thing off."

Faersson looked at him with a surprised expression, but then a weird smile emerged: "What?"

"I'll let you—" the Grand Chancellor raised his staff and slammed hard, "—turn off that thing!"

The precious carpets under the feet, the wooden planks on the walls, the exquisite ceiling above, all the camouflages were destroyed by the burning of the magical flame, revealing the brilliance of the arcane, the elemental power was actively echoing, and the room was a storm, and in the wind's In the center, Griffin's whole body is surging with mana, like a raging tide!

He snapped: "Turn off the psychic organs and free them—right now!"

Although it is a wild dog at the end of its life, its minions are not damaged and its strength is complete.

Not only that, but there is hysteria that ignores fate and life and death.

This is the first-class spell caster in the world, and no one dares to despise the bite of his life.

But Phaethon still stood there, turning a blind eye to the shining magic pattern around him. He looked at Griffin, who exuded deadly aura and mad hatred, and suddenly laughed out loud.

"what."

In the face of this dog's rebellious rebellion, which was almost a showdown, the performance of the God of the Star Palace was very different from the previous one. He was not angry, intimidated, or even contemptuous. Instead, he was calm.

Looking at Griffin's eyes, there is only an inexplicable pity and ridicule.

He said: "In the previous harvests of the Epoch Times, there was no shortage of dogs who knelt down and surrendered, and there was never a shortage of dregs among the dregs who revolted after returning to surrender. Their performance was the talk and joy of the long years after the harvest, so Some of them, I remember very well."

"I've seen and heard a lot of this."

"One was after surrendering, and in a certain war, he encountered the fire thief's overwhelming force. In order to survive, he secretly agreed to surrender to the fire thief and asked for forgiveness. The fire thief agreed, so he surrendered again, Bringing the fire thieves a victory in a battle, and the lives of three star gods."

"This scum of repeated surrender, after we finished the harvest, died miserably."

"We let him howl for hundreds of years, tortured and healed him repeatedly, until the last bit of vitality in his soul was cut off, everything from the body to the soul collapsed, and he could no longer give any feedback or feeling to the outside world. He just ended his tragic life."

"Compared to him, what impresses me is another ant."

"He also surrendered early. He did not rebel in the middle, but cooperated with us wholeheartedly until the end of the harvest. He witnessed the moment of extinction, the fall of the fire thieves and the last group of rebels, and the final glory of civilization. From dazzling to annihilation, hearing the last stroke of the Doomsday Clock."

"Then he suddenly started attacking us like crazy."

"Of course he was executed immediately, no one cared why he went mad, but the skeleton of this betrayer was not crushed into powder and thrown into the universe, but sprinkled on the tomb of the fire robbers."

When talking about these things, Phaersson's tone was relaxed, and he didn't mean to intimidate or threaten.

After he finished speaking, he looked at Griffin with a rare gentle tone.

"The reason why the first idiot betrayed was that he obtained the understanding of the fire thieves in advance."

"It's hard to say why the second idiot betrayed, maybe it was due to guilt or other boring thoughts that only short-lived species have... Everyone was busy planning and attending the funeral of the fire thief, and no one cared. The idea of ​​​​just ants, after the harvest, we still have a lot of things."

"Of course, this is not the point, the point is that now, the fire thieves can say that they have denied all your vitality and hope in front of the whole world, and there is no way forward for you, you have committed a serious crime, you should do I have done everything, why should I choose to betray at this time?"

He did look a little puzzled: "Do you still expect the fire thief to let you go?"

Phaerson's too calm and indifferent attitude at this time made Griffin unfamiliar, but also vaguely uneasy.

The powerful spiritual power of the legendary mage is already close to the spiritual sense, and he can grasp the way forward and grasp the signs in the dark. Blood boils, just want to do that thing well, let alone consider any intuitive uneasiness.

He just showed a look of wanton pleasure. This is both catharsis and resistance, both roar and revenge. He just wants to roar out all the anger of these days!

"—You self-proclaimed **** bastard, cold-blooded and brutal demon, even if I told the reason, how would you understand!?"

The veins on Griffin's forehead bloomed, and his voice was hoarse.

"You are nothing but a dog of your so-called master! You are nothing but a fool who relies on strength and accumulation, and despises the mortal world! If the identities are reversed, even a dog with your current identity and strength can still Seeing you as an ant, without power, what are you!?"

"You're just an idiot who lived too long and became numb and stupid!"

"Without Kant's obstruction, I can play you to death!"

"Arrogant, arrogant, dull, inexplicable, arrogant!"

"I have grown from a weak child to a Supreme Mage and the Lord of the Arcane Council, but it's only a few decades! Are you a **** who was frightened by fire thieves, and you deserve to control me!"

The Great Speaker roared wildly, and his mana became more and more powerful.

He is venting all his anger and delaying time, because the layers of spell stacking and super magic skills are constantly being spread, and the longer the time drags on, the stronger the power he has accumulated!

"You don't know anything at all! You don't know human courage, you don't know what I endured and exploded, you don't know why those people outside are roaring, you don't know what Kant wants to give them, of course you are more I don't know why I'm at this time..."

"-I know."

Facing Griffin, who was roaring provocatively while charging for his super magic skills, Phaethon remained calm, as calm as a deep lake, which made people shudder.

"I know why you're doing this."

"You have awakened that you are in a quagmire, you can't turn back, you know that there is a dead end, and you find that your life is no different from those ants outside, which is true in our eyes."

"You empathize with them. Nether species call this morality and kindness. You find that you have no reason to survive, but those soldiers who are under control still have a chance to survive, so you want to rescue them."

"It should be the words I said to you before that have an effect - you finally recognized the sacred radiance of the fire thieves, and felt that these controlled soldiers should have a more glorious future, because following this radiant sacred, collected civilization radiance It is a thousand times better for a leader of one to die at the end of the day than it is to die now."

"So, you know that you are going to die, you have remorse, and you have empathy, and then remorse, resentment, and humiliation give you new motives—you want these ants who have followed you and betrayed by you to be free, get A better and more glorious future... to do for you what you can no longer do."

Speaking of which, Faersson said lightly, "This is a common psychological phenomenon in the lower realms. The scholars among us call this the empathy effect."

When Griffin heard this, his expression of anger and pleasure had frozen, and he looked at Phaethon.

The God of Star Palace also looked back at him.

"I know, I know it all."

"I know that you have never been willing to be a dog. I know that in the battle of Tulaxiaye, you left with me. It was forced by the situation and had to be done. After you successfully retreated, you began to find a way out."

"I know that you have tried every means to obtain the technical secrets of the star palace from me and Apophis. Once the situation changes in the future, the technology and information you have obtained from us will become the iron proof that you have endured humiliation and let you obtain theft The understanding and recognition of the firemen and the kings."

"I know you thought differently when you found out that Apophis and I were both stupid."

"I know that after you learned about the fire thief and Kant's identity, your hostility and jealousy towards Kant mixed into new emotions - you are not willing to be led and directed by the fire thief, and you want to get rid of him and start anew to prove that I am more suitable than Kant to be the leader of the mortal world and against the star palace."

"How cute and funny."

At last Phaerson laughed, but it was not mean, nor smug.

But a very calm and peaceful smile.

As if telling a common joke.

"Look, I actually know that."

"So, how much do you know?"

The God of Star Palace smiled faintly.

"After killing Tulaxia Ye, you can still bear the burden of humiliation, obtain information, and have the opportunity to wash away your grievances."

"When war breaks out and the two sides face off, you can still unite countries, provide technology, and gain understanding."

"Even not long ago, when you wrote to Kant and suggested that he leave the mortal world, you still had a chance to accomplish a great deed that no fire thief of all generations could accomplish—"

"—Deterring the Star Palace with the help of the fire thieves who left, and restraining the fire thieves with the help of the Star Palace that controls the mighty power."

"The star palace is in the sky, and the fire thief is in the hometown. In the mortal world, only you, Griffin Williams, who has obtained the technology and support of the star palace, checks and balances on both sides, takes both ends, and then takes the opportunity to become the third force. "

Griffin was completely discolored, and he gritted his teeth and rattled.

"And now, the fire thief has made an oath to kill, all the subjects who supported you betrayed you, the kings of the kingdoms will completely draw a clear line with you, the world will destroy your name, you will die, everything you hold dear All will be ashes, and I think back to the day when Tulaxia Ye changed, back to the day when you captured me..."

"How did things get like this step by step?"

"There are so many opportunities for recovery, why are you getting deeper and deeper and can't turn back now?"

"The reason for this, you don't know."

Having said this, Phoebus raised his hand and pointed to himself.

"But…"

The smile changed from a smile to a big one, grinning, and the arrogance, arrogance, contempt, disdain, banter, and malice that had been suppressed all quietly poured out.

"-I know."

The next moment, Griffin suddenly let out a roar, elements burst, frost, flame, lightning, stone thorns, sound waves, strong winds... The purest and ferocious elements attacked from all directions and suddenly joined together!

Legendary mages have been poised for a long time, and with a blow of anger, even the strongest in the world must retreat from the defense!

But the turbulent power of the elements, the dexterous and fatal change of arcane skills, Griffin's strongest blow so far, came to an end just a foot away from Phaethon. The violent elemental reaction distorted the air, distorting the face of the God of Star Palace, and distorting his voice.

"Ridiculous, Griffin, ridiculous."

"You say I'm arrogant, but it's you mortal beings who are arrogant."

"If you think you are wise, you think we are fools. If you think you have faith, you think we are flattering people. If you think you have courage, you think we are ants who are useless without strength..."

"It's really stupid and sad that you are an ant, and you don't know our sacred mission and glorious sacrifice!"

His tone became intense, and there was finally emotion in his words.

"I see and know everything you do, so Griffin Williams—"

"Playing this funny game with you until now, and even handing over the secrets, wisdom and layout of the star palace to you, what is my purpose - you! Know! Know!?!"

Pure power, burst out!

Phaezon punched out, the elements died out, the frost and fire dissipated, and the thunder and lightning whined!

The next moment, the magic pattern array all over the walls and floor shattered, Griffin vomited blood and flew backwards, the robe shattered, and the magic shield disintegrated. It can even be called the strongest spell caster in the world, although it is close range. He was caught off guard by a physical surprise attack, but with just one punch... he was defeated!

Griffin slammed into the wall, his hands and feet were weak, and he fell to the ground.

He looked at the God of Star Palace in disbelief.

Not because the opponent burst out with such terrifying power, but because...

- He's burning!

It's not a physical burning, but from the body to the soul, all of them are shining unscrupulously... It's like a star is shining brightly!

And the fuel is all the lives, souls, years, memories, wills, beliefs... everything of this star palace **** in the long time so far!

"You..." Griffin exclaimed in shock, "what are you doing!"

Phaethon's smile was more cheerful than ever.

"I told you this story! In each harvest, in front of the fire thieves who gather all the glory of a civilization, the gods of the star palace will die without hesitation..."

"Do you think we went straight up and were hacked to death by them one by one?"

"—Since you want to accompany the dying stars, how can you not bloom with your own glory!"

The Star God looked directly at Griffin.

And the Great Speaker's heart was already dead.

In the confrontation just now, Phaethon relied on the restrained energy released by burning everything to forcibly eat all the elemental attacks, and then took advantage of his full-strength attack to strike a killer and make a contribution, and now he has There is absolutely no life, nothing can change.

Phaerson wanted to kill him with just a flick of his finger.

He put on a wait-and-see attitude, and suddenly the mana was condensed and released suddenly, and the elemental brilliance shone directly, through the ceiling and layers of soil, soaring into the sky!

Phoebusn looked at it and shook his head slightly.

He didn't kill Griffin.

Instead, the violent recoil slammed straight up, breaking through the reinforced protective panels and the thick soil layer, and rose into the sky with the violent explosion and came under the sun!

On the battlefield, as soon as I saw the elemental brilliance, the God of Star Palace rushed out of the soil layer. In the eyes of Kant and Dereira, the phoenix fire was a masterpiece at the same time - Star Palace came!

But seeing the sunlight passing through the red cloud, the rust-colored sun blocked by the shadows, the **** of the star palace living high in the sky, arrogantly overlooking the mortal world, releasing infinite light and heat, his eyes are connected with the fire thief.

"—The Fire Thief! Born with God, the enemy of the veil, the spirit of rebellion!"

Phaethon's voice overwhelmed the battlefield and resounded through the earth.

"The Star Palace has come...Lead the mortal beings, and start the final battle!"

Spreading his cloak like wings, he stood in the sky, casting endless shadows, ravaging the mortal world with fear and extinction, as countless ages have done.

The fire thief looked at the sky and pointed his sword at it.

Behind him, the army spread out, the body of steel, the fire of iron as soldiers, proudly facing the sky.

"Knock it down!"