109 Varying Reactions
"Your Majesty!"
The guard suddenly called out as Maximus suddenly lost consciousness.
Fortunately, Maximus had already walked off to the podium, so the people in the empire didn't see it.
"Don't crowd!" Doran, the chief minister, suddenly said.
"Take His Majesty to the quarters," he added.
Before Maximus lost consciousness, he sent a telepathic message to Doran, urging him not to panic.
Moreover, knowing that it was only a mechanical puppet, he didn't worry too much and only thought that Maximus had something important to do.
While Maximus was unconscious, a shockwave spread throughout the world.
...
Cursed Continent, Helmsworth Empire.
Emperor Julius sat on his throne, overlooking his entire domain.
He was a Griffin father, a Tier 6 battle mage.
Just now, he had heard all of Maximus's announcements.
"I can't believe that I can witness this era in my lifetime."
Yes, this world-shaking event happened before, it was called the era of Imperial Domination.
An era he had only read about in history books.
An era where only one empire stood supreme.
"Sigh, I only hope that the Helmsworth family can survive this ordeal."
...
In the Westle Empire, Cursed Continent.
"Hahaha, I, Emperor Khan, will be the ruler of this world!"
This proclamation reverberated throughout the entire Westle Empire.
Khan, who was proficient in history, economy, and politics, had heard of this era.
An era where one could rule the entire Cursed Continent.
Based on the records, this era occurred every other thousands of epochs, producing invincible figures across realms.
Like the previous ruler of the Cursed Continent thousands of epochs ago.
Holy Emperor Ashoka, although limited to Tier 8, was said to be able to fight back-to-back with any Apex Sovereign.
This earned him the title of the strongest under the apex.
"I just don't know why this emperor failed to reach Tier 9," Khan couldn't help but ponder.
If Valoros knew what he was thinking, he would just sigh in pity.
This Holy Emperor Ashoka is indeed the strongest Tier 8 in the world.
He is also the closest to achieving his plan of creating an omnipotent god.
But condensing the collective will of the people is like advancing to Tier 9 a thousand times simultaneously.
Ashoka exhausted all his lifespan, but he didn't even come close to becoming an Apex Sovereign.
Valoros can only hope that Maximus will achieve this step; otherwise, he can only retry again after a thousand epochs.
Just that, Valoros was uncertain whether the Etherium Realm still had time before the abyss came to this world.
In the southern part of the Cursed Continent, in the Ethrium Embassy.
"Sith, it looks like our deal is at a loss," Kelton sighed at his partner.
They had just come back from visiting the Moonlight Empire yesterday.
Now, hearing such a declaration sent shudders to his chest.
They had just promised Maximus to guard his empire for a hundred years, yet now the dark era of the Cursed Continent had begun.
"Don't worry too much, I read in history that this era of imperial domination is limited to Tier 6," Sith comforted.
"I know, that's why my chest hurts," Kelton said with a hint of grief.
"If only Tier 7 were allowed, then we could justifiably escape."
"Now, even if we're besieged by Tier 6 beings, we can only grit our teeth," Kelton continued.
"Oh! How can we be so stupid? Kelton, why were you so naive?" Sith also realized it just now.
"That cunning Maximus fooled us into signing such a crooked contract," Sith nearly teared up.
Maximus had also overlooked this part.
After all, on such a peaceful continent, who would bother to attack his empire?
He only signed a contract with these two for assurance.
But now, everything is in shambles because of some dark hand.
Sith and Kelton can only suck it up and endure.
They only hope that Maximus compensates them for such suffering.
...
In the Origin Domain, Arcane Continent, in Arcana Tower.
"Oh, Valoros has started it again," Fealan murmured as he felt what happened to the Cursed Continent.
"I just hope that fewer would die this time."
The apex sovereigns knew much more about this event than what was written in history.
After all, they witnessed the first to just the recent Era of Imperial Domination.
At first, they thought that Valoros was up to something.
After all, besides being the smartest in the world, Valoros is also known as the most scheming man in the world.
But as time passed, the first imperial domination, the second... the third...
All the emperors that succeeded and conquered the Cursed Continent only reached the pitiful Tier 8.
It couldn't even reach their realm.
As for these Tier 8 individuals being able to fight with Tier 9 Apex Sovereigns?
It was just newbies fighting each other.
As for them, the old-timers who were only one step away from Tier 10, it's just a bigger ant.
So now, these Apex Sovereigns just regarded these activities of Valoros as entertainment.
They thought that Valoros was just reminiscing about the past of the Nexus Continent.
They also tried to study the mechanism of how the emperor would strengthen as they conquered other empires.
It was through the collective will of the people, which is like the power of gods.
As for its further effects, they didn't know, as it would only show its effects after the ruler of the throne reached Tier 9.
"I seem to remember that the initiator of this era is one of the genius of this Celestial Ascent Path trial," Fealan thought as he thought of Maximus.
Thinking of this, he only hoped that Maximus can leave this competition and not die.
...
Meanwhile, in the City of Arcana, Maximus' Manor.
Maximus, who had been unconscious, opened his eyes.
"Huh? What happened to me?" Maximus questioned himself.
What had occurred this time was truly peculiar.
Remembering the words he had dared to utter in front of his people.
Maximus was sure that it was not something he would say.
"Am I being controlled?" Maximus questioned again, but this time he directed his attention to his system.
His system was bound to his very core, so if something had tried to control him, the system should have reacted.
Soon, he came to understand what had transpired.
He had been induced.
Someone had amplified his desire for conquest.
While the system could block any form of direct control over him, it was vulnerable to indirect influence.
"Now, what should I do?" This was Maximus's foremost thought in the present moment.
As he had been uttering nonsense earlier, he realized that his voice had resonated far and wide.
It was now only a matter of time before his name spread throughout the entire continent.
"Fortunately, there are still two protectors that I recently hired," Maximus couldn't help but sigh in relief as he thought of Sith and Kelton.
...
"Anyway, I need to rectify what happened," Maximus muttered as he swiftly transferred his consciousness to the Cursed Continent.
...
In the Moonlight Empire, Maximus's Castle.
"Where am I?" Maximus questioned as he lay in bed.
"My room?" Observing the familiar ceiling and furnishings, he confirmed that he was indeed in his own room.
"Your Majesty, you're awake," Doran entered upon hearing Maximus's voice.
"It's you, Doran."
"Sigh, I'm relieved that you're awake, Your Majesty. We were concerned that something had happened to you," Doran sighed.
"Hmm, how has the reaction been among the people of the empire?" Maximus asked, curious about his people's response.
"That... Your Majesty, your charisma is as awe-inspiring as ever."
"In short, the citizens of the Moonlight Empire are ready to wield their swords against any obstacle that crosses your path."
Doran marveled.
He had expected people to protest against Maximus's arrogant declaration.
However, the opposite had occurred – the people wholeheartedly supported Maximus, as if it were the natural course of events.
Of course, this should have been the influence of something the moment when Maximus lost consciousness.
...
Earlier, just after Maximus lost consciousness.
"Huh? What just happened?"
The people on the podium below reacted.
They appeared to have been affected by the impassioned words of His Majesty, unconsciously responding.
But upon contemplating the declaration made by His Majesty, it became clear that he had declared war across the Cursed Continent.
How could they respond to such a thing?
War meant death and hunger, just as they had experienced in the past.
Just as they were about to voice their concerns, a wave of will suddenly instilled in them a surge of information.
This information pertained to what awaited them upon victory in the war.
For poor commoners, what attracted them was magic crystals, each worth a thousand gold.
For the elderly, extended lifespan was a compelling incentive, potentially granting them more years.
For those with modest talents, a blessing in aptitude was enticing, promising to greatly enhance their potential.
For emperors, the reward was, of course, the augmentation of strength as they expanded their dominion.
All the desires of the people could be fulfilled, as long as they emerged victorious against other empires.
This was the incentive Valoros had introduced, making the world more violent, imbued with a thirst for battle, and most importantly, urging them to conquer until only one power remained.
As one of the peak Apex Sovereigns, these rewards meant little to him.
After processing the information, a hint of excitement and greed coursed through their very beings.
The world revolved around benefits; without them, it could not function.
Now that these incentives lay before them, how could they resist?
"We fight for the empire!"
"We fight for the emperor!"
"We shall conquer these boundless lands!"
A voice shattered the silence, igniting their fervor as they joined in the chant.
"We fight for the empire!"
"We fight for the emperor!"
"We shall conquer these boundless lands!"
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