One-Eyed Monster

Everyone harbors a patriotic heart. The Kayne Empire has always been united because they have always been at a disadvantage. A disadvantaged group will face extinction if they fail to unite. This is something the Kayne People understand better than anybody else. Consequently, when they were under attack by Dark Force, the Alchemy Workshop and the monsters of Guru Mountain set aside their deep grudges to come together.

Though their unity didn’t decisively turn the tide, it showcased their solidarity. No matter how great the hatred or resentment, when faced with adversity, Kayne People would gather and stand together. This solidarity was a powerful, almost unbreakable, aspect of their character.

However, upon closer analysis, one would realize it’s not particularly difficult to understand.

As Kuyi Tulan noted, the Kayne People were less enduring compared to the Vero People and weaker than the Mantai People. In terms of physical capability, they were significantly behind those from the Ghost Realm and Vero Realm. In front of the Mantai People and Vero People, they were weak, hence they would band together.

If they didn’t, there would be no chance of victory.

The most formidable aspect of the Kayne Realm was its Adventurers with Class.

Once, the fifth and sixth generation Kings of the Kayne Empire managed to counterattack the Vero Realm and Ghost Realm using Adventurers with Class. This was back when such adventurers had just emerged on the Yowein Continent. Adventurers with Class transformed Kayne into an empire and ushered in prosperous years. However, as Adventurers with Class became more widespread across the Yowein Continent, this advantage began to dwindle...

Instead, the Mantai Empire and Wensi Empire gradually became more fearsome.

After all, the citizens of those two empires were physically superior to those of the Kayne Empire. Their Adventurers with Class displayed formidable strength, and the physical disparity led to the gradual loss of advantage among Kayne’s Adventurers with Class.

Capitalizing on their inherent strengths, the Mantai Empire and Wensi Empire constantly harassed the Kayne Empire’s borders, gradually encroaching upon its territories. With their Adventurers’ advantage lost, the Kayne Empire had limited offensive capabilities. Relying solely on defense meant their land was continuously being devoured by the enemy. The relentless onslaught from the ferocious Mantai and the cunning Wensi forces placed the Empire’s Guardian Army under immense pressure. This was the current state of affairs.

If similar invasions happened a few more times, the Empire’s Guardian Army might become easily panicked.

Therefore, the young King of Kayne noticed the weakest link of his empire. He tirelessly endeavored to strengthen his Guardian Army, even if it meant being branded a tyrant. If the Guardian Army lost its combat capability, then it would be the end of the empire.

The Empire needed an infusion of new forces. Kuyi Tulan suggested one solution, and Rostov, the Governor of Luona, provided another. These two men eased the burden of the young king, naturally becoming his favorites.

Battlefield experience strengthened Kuyi Tulan’s resolve in his plan.

Facing his mentor, Kuyi Tulan had much to discuss.

At this point, he realized it would be very difficult to gain his mentor’s forgiveness.

Now, he only hoped his mentor could understand his arduous efforts.

He wasn’t treading this path for himself alone; he was doing it for the entire empire...

Perhaps no one would believe him if he said it aloud, but Kuyi Tulan genuinely thought this way.

”May the Stars in the sky illuminate our path.” Kuyi Tulan crossed his hands over his chest and prayed towards the sky.

”My child, your blueprint is ambitious, and no one can deny your contribution to the Empire. But your plan is still too insane; what you are seeking is not an army, but a machine. I will repeat my advice: know when to stop,” the Great Mentor said after listening to Kuyi Tulan’s long-winded speech, giving his advice once more.

He had given this advice many years ago, and he was stating it again now to make his position clear.

Kuyi Tulan sighed; he understood his mentor’s meaning.

Still opposed to his plan, huh.

”Mentor, you have also seen the might of the Mantai Empire’s army on the battlefield. They... are capable of anything.”

”The Mantai People are cruel by nature; they have their ways of survival.”

”They command Mountain Monsters, control Dwarves, and possess immense power. And us? Are we supposed to defend our lands with nothing but our flesh and blood?”

”The enemy... their strength is formidable...”

Before the Great Mentor could finish, Kuyi Tulan started speaking again, ”The Wensi Empire has the power to control Tree Spirits! Are we to counter their strange and spiritual abilities with our flesh and blood?”

The Great Mentor seemed to grasp the unspoken implication in Kuyi Tulan’s words.

”We have nothing! We can only charge forward with our flesh and blood!” Kuyi Tulan shouted himself hoarse. ”Is this the kind of sacrifice you wish to witness?”

Kuyi Tulan faced everyone, his eyes fiercely scanning them.

”’Well?’” With each person his gaze swept over, he posed this question, his tone righteous and formidable.

Everyone caught in Kuyi Tulan’s sweeping gaze flinched. They found themselves unable to answer his question. They had all witnessed the power of Mountain Monsters, Dwarves, and Tree Spirits on the battlefield; such power was undeniably beyond what ordinary soldiers could withstand. Kuyi Tulan was highlighting a stark reality. Both the Wensi and Mantai Empires wielded powers that seemed to defy reality. In this regard, the Kayne Empire simply couldn’t compare. A single Mountain Monster could hold off an entire troop, and the cunning of the Dwarves was a maddening problem. The Mantai and Wensi Empires had unleashed these creatures on the borders numerous times, and each attack inflicted heavy losses on the Guardian Army. Only magical arts could halt their advance.

Thus, faced with Kuyi Tulan’s pointed questions, they drooped like wilted eggplants, utterly speechless.

”We have gone through this kind of sacrifice too many times; we can’t let this continue!” Once again, Kuyi Tulan began his speech in a declamatory tone.

Just as Kuyi Tulan was about to elaborate, Great Mentor Guzan’s aged voice interjected, this time filled with power.

”Our ancestors fought to survive on this barren and impoverished land. They had nothing back then!”

The Great Mentor’s gaze grew distant, as if he were reminiscing about the past. His narration was calm yet powerful.

”Our ancestors, step by step, forged the path for Adventurers with Class under the most challenging conditions. They didn’t rush for quick success, nor did they give up, nor were they deterred by fear. They explored according to their own discoveries, pursued the Absolute Truth, embracing the essence and discarding the dross. They withstood many trials.”

The Great Mentor’s words were like lead weights, each sentence landing heavily in the hearts of all present.

It was an unsolvable riddle from history. No one knew how the first and second generation Kings of the Kayne Empire had truly managed—how they had weathered the onslaught of the Mantai Empire’s vast armies and the Wensi’s brutality...