"Kill! Kill these invaders! The world is ours!"
"Let's fight them to the death!"
"Fuck you, you despicable bastards! Die!"
"My leg! My leg is gone! Someone help me!"
"Ahhh! I'll die with you bastards!"
In the Southern War Preparedness Zone, on the battlefield below, the Ashen forces and the Orichalcum forces were engaged in brutal, close-quarters combat.
Just moments ago, Ashen had used their military formation to forcefully kill the previously injured god, but the formation was also destroyed by the gods of Orichalcum in the process.
Now, without the support of their military formations, both sides were thrown into the rawest and most intense battle imaginable. Demigods fought demigods, while the legends sought opponents of equal rank. As for the remaining third-class soldiers, they fought desperately. These soldiers were the weakest in the battle, and they knew that they had to give everything in order to find a slim chance of survival.
For those who managed to survive this brutal battle, the contribution points they accumulated would be enough to exchange for resources to break through to the rank of legend. Although, in a conflict between gods, even a demigod was nothing more than an ant, at least they would have a glimmer of hope—a hope to grow stronger and rise higher!
Nearly every moment, a warrior fell. The camp was left in ruins, littered with the bodies of the dead and the wounded. The air was filled with the sounds of battle cries, and many severely injured soldiers lay on the ground, screaming in agony. Some, in their final moments, gathered all their strength for one last act of defiance, hoping to take down as many enemies as they could in a mutual destruction.
This brutal battle would not cease unless one side's entire army was wiped out. It was a fight to the bitter end, a fight that would drive everyone to madness!
Above, the scene was no different. The four Orichalcum gods were struggling against the encirclement of five Ashen gods of equal rank. Thankfully, with no more military formations to worry about, the Orichalcum gods could focus all their attention on the battle.
However, the numerical difference was still a significant disadvantage. In a fight where both sides were risking everything, the absence of one god-level combatant could very well decide the outcome of the battle.
Moreover, if Ashen failed to win soon, they could send one of their gods down below to slaughter the Orichalcum forces. Once the entire army was wiped out, Ashen's remaining forces would face no further obstacles, and they could gradually form a new military formation to shatter the current stalemate.
"Damn it! It's been so long, why hasn't the reinforcements arrived yet?!"
One of the Orichalcum gods couldn't help but roar. He didn't want to die here, but if reinforcements didn't arrive soon, this might just become his final resting place!
"I just sensed it. The Eastern War Preparedness Zone and Northern War Preparedness Zone have also erupted into fierce battles between gods. This time, it's an attack planned by those vile natives."
A god skilled in sensing spoke up. Upon hearing this, the other four gods' expressions darkened immediately. If this was true, then Orichalcum's royal capital, their true foundation and home, might also be facing a crisis!
In fact, the reinforcements they had been waiting for might not be reinforcements at all, but more enemies coming to wipe them out!
I believe joining us would be the best choice for you. The conditions offered by Orichalcum, we can offer you double.
I hope you'll give it serious consideration."
His voice was respectful, completely void of any sign of the brutal and cruel treatment that Orichalcum gods typically meted out.
To become a god, no one was foolish. It was just that, in the past two encounters, Sterl had acted too quickly for the gods to even open their mouths. Furthermore, this mysterious powerhouse named Hades looked anything but easy to deal with, so, of course, they had to try their best to win him over first.
As for the rewards and conditions, as long as they could eliminate Orichalcum, this invader, any amount of resources would be worth it. Moreover, if they could capture the royal capital, the rewards would far outweigh what they'd have to give to this Hades. His real goal was to keep this god occupied for now. Once the Orichalcum Annihilation was complete, they could then turn their attention to dealing with him later.
"Double?"
Sterl raised an eyebrow, seemingly intrigued. At this, the four Orichalcum gods trembled slightly, their expressions turning nervous. If this mysterious powerhouse was truly swayed, their fate would be nothing short of disastrous.
The Ashen gods were unaware of Hades' previous achievements, but they knew full well that even Diana was a little worried. If Hades was persuaded, wouldn't his situation be exactly like before—or perhaps even worse?
"No."
Sterl deliberately paused for a moment before shaking his head. "What they offered me, you can't."
With that, he glanced down at Diana in his arms, and the meaning behind his gaze was unmistakable.
At that instant, Diana's heart skipped a beat. Her heart raced in her chest, and she was utterly stunned by Hades' words. Did this mean... that he wasn't interested in resources at all? That his true reason for agreeing was to fight for
her
? And wasn't she the goddess in question?
As she felt Sterl's arm tighten around her, Diana's body grew warmer and more pliable in his embrace, and Sterl couldn't help but smirk inwardly. His goal was indeed to recruit this goddess, but he wasn't foolish enough to act recklessly.
His real purpose was to further solidify his persona, to make it seem as though he was captivated by Diana, willingly assisting Orichalcum for her sake. By doing so, he would gain even more trust from Orichalcum, making his future operations much smoother.
And besides, wasn't Diana's conquest moving ahead at an accelerated pace? This was truly a "kill two birds with one stone" plan.
The moment those words left Sterl's mouth, the Ashen gods' faces turned green with envy and disbelief. To their shock, it turned out that Sterl was serving Orichalcum not for the kingdom, but for a woman!
Get a grip! You're a god! How could you betray yourself for a woman? Although, they had to admit, that woman was a goddess too.