【 SEA INVASION 】

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The elves and half-elves on the dock halted their work, staring in astonishment toward the sea.

Slowly, Gando’s heart skipped a beat as he turned around to where they were looking.

There on the distant horizon, where the ocean seemed to merge with the sky, a long, faint white line stretched across the surface, sweeping everything in its path.

The white line grew larger and larger as it expanded and continued to rise.

The rumbling of waves echoed like distant thunder, mingling with the sea wind that rustled the plants along the shore.

Facing the increasingly fierce wind, Gando widened his eyes and fixed his gaze on the approaching white line. A vague sense of apprehension began to take shape in his heart.

At that moment, a sailor aboard a nearby ship, who had also been watching the horizon, suddenly changed their expression.

“T-This is bad! It’s a tsunami!”

Gando’s expression sharpened.

A tsunami!?

Muttering an incantation, he quickly cast the spell [Eagle Eye] and looked once more toward the sea, where the surface surged like a stampede of countless galloping beasts.

Under the enhancement of the spell, his vision greatly improved, and he finally discerned the true nature of the long white line.

It was not a mere line at all, but an endless wall of waves!

The waves surged and roared as they rolled toward the shore and as time passed, they continued to rise at an astonishing speed.

Gando’s face changed drastically.

“Quick! Go inform the church at once and activate the city’s defensive barrier!”

After shouting the order, he glanced at his stunned kin, clenched his teeth, and ran toward the temple himself.

The tsunami drew ever closer.

The thunderous roar of the waves grew louder, from a faint murmur, to a pounding rhythm, then finally to a continuous, deafening rumble akin to unending thunder.

Meanwhile, the white line of waves continued to rise, higher and higher, until even from the shore, its sheer height was enough to inspire dread.

Everyone along the coast gazed in shock at the colossal waves, which towered at least dozens of meters high, their hearts filled with terror while chaos erupted across the dock.

Gando hadn’t run that far before the piercing sound of alarm bells rang out from the direction of Mirovia’s Temple of Life.

Soon after, a radiant pillar of light rose from the temple, ascending into the sky before dispersing outward, forming an inverted dome of light that enveloped the entire city.

At the sight of this, Gando came to a halt and finally let out a breath of relief.

It was Mirovia’s holy barrier.

With the barrier in place, even a tsunami would be unable to harm the city.

Nonetheless, besides the city, the other coastal areas of the Elven Forest would likely suffer.

With that thought, Gando turned once more toward the sea.

And what he saw left him completely frozen in place.

In the direction of the sea, the waves continued to rise, having increased several times over after a period of time.

In his rough estimates, the tsunami had now roughly surpassed one hundred meters in height.

The terrifying wall of water continued to advanced, blotting out the sky above and casting a vast shadow over the streets of Mirovia.

The wind howled, the world seemed to darken, and at the sight of the apocalyptic waves, Gando’s face turned deathly pale.

The earth trembled, and the cries of his people in the surroundings were swallowed by the thunderous roar of the sea.

Before his horrified gaze, the raging waves crashed violently against the city’s barrier, causing it to teeter on the brink of collapse…

In an instant, the massive waves submerged the entire coastal city beneath water. Beyond the barrier, along the sprawling shoreline, the overwhelming surge swept past the coast with unstoppable force, rapidly devouring the forests along the shore.

Vast stretches of woodland, as fragile as foam, were obliterated by the towering waves, leaving nothing but devastation in their wake.

After submerging the coastal shoreline, the tsunami, though slightly diminished in speed, continued onward, destroying everything in its path.

In the blink of an eye, the western coast of the Elven Forest was engulfed in a boundless expanse of water.

Standing in Mirovia’s streets, Gando lifted his head and stared upward in shock.

Above him, there was no longer a sky but an endless ocean.

Seawater battered the defensive barrier, producing a grating, creaking sound. The protective dome seemed as though it could shatter at any moment, allowing the destructive flood to pour in.

Inside the barrier, the surroundings had grown dim, as the ocean blocked out the sunlight.

At last, after a seemingly endless stretch of time, the colossal waves seemed to exhaust their force as they slowly began to recede. Sunlight gradually reappeared above the holy barrier.

Everyone in the city collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

Yet, as the holy barrier endured until the waves subside, it finally expended the last of its power before shattering with a resounding crash.

It could not be helped.

The holy statue that empowered the barrier had only been placed recently; therefore, the faith accumulated within it had not yet reached full capacity.

Thus, for it to have withstood such a terrifying tsunami was already a remarkable feat.

The power of natural disaster was fearsome. The towering tsunami, reaching over a hundred meters, were no less destructive than the strike of a mythical being.

When the waters finally receded and the land reemerged, the sight outside the city left everyone speechless.

The once-beautiful coastline had been devastated as vast patches of forests had collapsed in great swathes, dissolving into muddy ruin.

Aside from Mirovia, which remained intact under the protection of the holy barrier, the entire western coast of the Elven Forest appeared as though it had suffered an apocalyptic calamity.

However, this wasn’t the end of it.

More cries of alarm arose from across the city:

“Look! In the water! There’s something coming!”

Following the shouts of his kin, Gando turned his gaze once more toward the shore.

There along the muddy shoreline, the seawater churned as grotesque figures crawled out one after another. Their bodies were covered in barbed protrusions and scales, with gills at their ears and eyes glowing a blood-red hue.

Seeing these creatures, Gando’s expression hardened.

“Demons…”

The creatures emerging from the sea were demons.

Moreover, they were oceanic demons, a type rarely seen in most fallen worlds in the Abyss and typically found only in significant numbers within the third layer of hell.

One after another, the demons climbed out of the water, gathering along the shore. They greedily inhaled the coastal air, their gazes toward the Elven Forest filled with burning hunger and bloodlust.

Seconds passed as more and more demons came ashore, before quickly spreading across the seemingly endless coastline.

Beneath the surface of the sea, waves surged as massive creatures began to emerge, revealing themselves as enormous abyssal sea monsters.

At that moment, Gando finally understood what was happening.

Watching the ever-growing horde of demons, his expression turned grim.

“The demon army are here…”

These abyssal forces invading the world of Seigües had emerged from the ocean itself.

The demons climbed onto the shore, shaking off the seawater from their bodies.

Then, with deafening roars and savage howls, they charged toward the elven city that had just suffered the devastation of the tsunami.

The alarm bells rang out once more from the direction of the temple, and the holy barrier lit up again.

However, this time, after enduring the recent tsunami, the reactivated barrier was very dim, and many areas could no longer be completely covered.

Seeing the oncoming demons, Gando’s expression became resolute.

Clenching his teeth, he drew out the staff he had been carrying with him and raised it high, issuing a command to his still-stunned kin:

“My fellow kin, do not panic! Take up your weapons and hold those demons back beyond the holy barrier!”

As the former High Priest of their clan, Gando commanded great respect among the Frost Elves.

Hearing his voice, the surrounding elves quickly regained their composure.

At this moment, the habit they had developed from years of surviving in the Abyss of always keeping weapons at hand, proved invaluable.

So without hesitation, they armed themselves and rushed toward the gaps where the barrier could not fully cover.

Soon, the two sides finally clashed in battle.

Meanwhile, Gando scanned the surroundings. After searching carefully, he finally spotted a Chosen One among the crowd, a non-combat player who had been stunned by the sudden invasion.

Stepping forward, he seized the person by the sleeve.

“Quickly! Inform Lady Alice and Sir Li Mu. The demons are invading the Elven Forest from the ocean!”

→⟐←

Eighty kilometers south of Zelouan, within the defensive line constructed by the players:

Inside a tent, Li Mu crushed the cup in his hand with a sudden grip.

His expression shifted, becoming more grave than ever before.

“What did you say!? The demons have directly invaded the Elven Forest?”

Across from him, another player nodded heavily.

“Yes. Our guild members stationed in Mirovia witnessed it firsthand. The situation there right now is extremely dire. I will share it with you now the video he sent me.”

Li Mu frowned deeply as he accepted the shared footage and opened it within the system.

When he saw the tsunami of apocalyptic scale, his gaze darkened instantly.

Even through the recording, he could sense its terrifying magnitude. He dared not imagine what the western coast of the Elven Forest must look like after such destruction.

Especially after the return of the Frost Elves, many players had worked alongside them to construct numerous villages, outposts, and fields scattered across the region.

As such, with it just being recently built, most of these settlements had no protection like a holy barrier.

After such a destructive catastrophe, it was impossible to know how much of these settlements remained.

Then, as the video continued, Li Mu saw the demons emerging like a tide from the sea and launching an assault on Mirovia.

His expression grew even more severe.

Li Mu clenched the shattered cup in his hand, so tightly that the fragments cut into his palm, blood flowing freely, yet he seemed completely numb to it.

“Damn it! Why are the demons appearing from that direction? Could there be another passageway under the ocean?”

He hurled the broken cup to the ground, his face filled with anger and shock. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

They had only just secured a hard-won victory and glimpsed a sliver of hope, yet these demons had struck from behind, catching them off guard.

However, Li Mu quickly took several deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down.

No.

He could not panic.

He could not afford to lose control at this moment.

He was the commander-in-chief.

If he faltered now, then how could the upcoming battles be fought?

Calm…

He had to remain calm.

The Elven Forest was the homeland of the elves and also the players’ stronghold. Thus, fighting there did not favor the demons at all.

Nonetheless, sending reinforcements were necessary.

If the elves alone were left to defend the forest, the losses would be far too great.

At the same time, a growing doubt formed in Li Mu’s mind.

The world of Seigües was vast.

So why are these demons seemed so fixated on the Elven Forest?

He had been closely monitoring developments across the continent, especially since the invasion began.

When the war first started, the demons had appeared in the southern regions of the empire.

Yet after capturing the southern border territories of the Holy Maniya Empire, their main forces had marched directly toward the Maple Moon State, leaving only a portion of their strength to continue attacking the adjacent human nations.

It was as though they were determined to eliminate the elven forces as quickly as possible.

This sense of being deliberately targeted left Li Mu deeply unsettled.

Nevertheless, the battle had to be fought. After suffering such a crushing defeat days prior, even this sudden ambush strike from behind only made the situation worse.

Li Mu steadied himself with a few more breaths, restoring his composure.

Then, he stepped out of the tent.

Outside, the players were already in an uproar.

As news of the Elven Forest being invaded spread, the entire camp fell into chaos.

Curses directed at the game developers once again rang out among the crowd. Quite a few players even began to waver, hesitating over whether to return immediately to the Elven Forest.

There was a simple reason for this.

The Elven Forest was their home, and everything they had built in this world was there. Therefore, upon hearing that their homeland was under attack, it was not surprising that no player could remain at ease.

Li Mu felt the same heaviness in his heart.

However, he understood that this was precisely the moment when disorder must be avoided.

Thus, he swiftly logged into the public communication channel, calmed the panicking players, and then issued new orders:

“Notify Moe Moe Committee, First Legion, All-Star Guild Alliance, and the other guilds to return and reinforce the Elven Forest!”

“Brother Mu, then who will take command? And what about the defensive line here?”

Someone asked anxiously.

Li Mu’s expression grew stern.

“The battle in the Elven Forest will be commanded by Demacia. He has plenty of unconventional ideas, and the terrain there is complex, which should allow him to make full use of his strengths. As for this front, the defenses have been largely reinforced over the past few days. Maple Moon has also provided several holy statues of the Goddess. Once the defensive barriers are fully deployed, the pressure here will be greatly reduced.”

“Demacia? Isn’t he doing a special quest in another realm right now?”

Someone frowned.

Li Mu erupted in anger.

“To hell with that quest! All he does there is spend his days pretending to preach while tricking NPCs into joining his damn company! I will quickly tell him to kill himself. If he refuses, then I will strip him of his vice leader position!”

After issuing the order to reinforce the Elven Forest and summoning a certain individual back through a series of furious messages, Li Mu quickly went to find Alice.

“Lady Alice, when will the Goddess finally take action? This cannot continue. This war has already stretched our strength to its limits.”

His expression was grave.

Hearing his words, Alice fell silent.

Looking at the chief commander of the Chosen Ones before her, with his eyes bloodshot and his face marked with exhaustion, the Saintess’ expression grew complicated.

“Soon. Please hold on a little bit longer. When the Goddess finally returns, victory will ultimately be ours.”

She spoke gently, offering reassurance.

Li Mu’s gaze sharpened.

“Returns? The Goddess hasn’t come back yet? Is she still in the Realm of Mindel?”

Alice hesitated briefly, then nodded softly.

Li Mu’s expression shifted.

“Then is that rumor true? The Goddess really cannot leave Mindel? Didn’t she already defeated that Evil Tree there?”

Alice did not hesitate this time as she slowly shook her head.

“Lady Alice, what exactly do you know? Please, tell me. If we understand the situation, it will at least give us confidence.”

Li Mu spoke earnestly.

As he continued, his expression grew even heavier.

“This war has been too difficult. Truly too difficult.”

“Now that the Elven Forest has been suddenly attacked, the morale we worked so hard to build has almost collapsed in an instant.”

“Everyone… needs something to hold on to, something that can inspire them to keep on fighting.”

Seeing the sincerity in Li Mu’s eyes, Alice hesitated.

The truth of the Goddess’s slumber was a secret. Within the entire Church, only she and a few high-ranking members knew the real reason.

Alice had originally intended to keep this secret until the Goddess returned.

After all, in half a year, countless things could change. The more people who knew, the greater the risk of the information leaking and falling into the enemy’s hands.

It was not that Alice distrusted the Chosen Ones.

Rather, even they might inadvertently reveal it. Even if shared only with other believers of life, it could still spread further through them.

Yet as she looked at the exhausted commander before her, and as images of the Chosen Ones fighting fearlessly flashed through her mind, hesitation stirred within her.

Though they were not true believers, they had fought from beginning to end for the Goddess and for the Elvenkind.

Besides, the time of the Goddess’s awakening was also drawing near.

Perhaps it was time for them to know the truth.

At the very least, this commander before her was worthy of trust.

With a soft sigh, Alice finally spoke:

“…The Goddess has fallen into a slumber and has not yet awakened.”

Li Mu was momentarily stunned.

“Slumber?”

Alice nodded.

“You see, the Goddess is currently in the process of ascending to higher divine power.”

As she spoke, her expression became solemn, her gaze filled with devotion.

“But fret not, Sir Li Mu. When the Goddess finally awakens, it will also mark the end of this war.”

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