Chapter 106

Chapter 106

"Your crown has been shattered."

"Unfortunately, you have been defeated in the war against Navira."

"Navira has declared an invasion of your territory."

"The witch doctor Barma has fallen in battle, and the effects of the mind-control potion are about to wear off..."

As dawn broke in the east, the blood-red sun hanging on the horizon set. Exhausted seabirds skimmed the bay's surface, their wings brushing against the crimson-stained sky, as if a giant hand had torn it open, revealing a blade of pale light cleaving through dawn.

Caesar stared at the screen in disbelief, his eyes wide with shock. But the screen slowly darkened before him. He remained frozen, unable to process the fact that he had actually lost to Navira. After his defeat, his inbox was buried under an avalanche of messages—his prestige points and prosperity ratings crashed, and due to the game’s penalty system for losing, various resources were deducted.

What finally snapped him out of it were the constant notifications popping up in the background. Everyone in his group was asking what had happened.

Caesar jolted in shock and, as if fleeing, rage-quit the game.

The moment he went offline, the news—"Breaking: Deserter Caesar has logged off"—was eagerly shared by onlookers in the discussion forums.

But while Caesar was gone, Navira’s invasion of his territory continued.

Merely winning this war was not enough for Samuel. What he wanted was the complete destruction of Caesar’s domain.

The few well-preserved warships, now captured as spoils after Caesar’s defeat, were commandeered by Navira. Under orders, Ximeng led Navira’s vengeful warriors aboard the ships, setting sail for Caesar’s lands.

Since *Alpha Lord* strived to simulate realistic war scenarios, the penalties for the losing side were severe. Thus, most players wouldn’t recklessly pick fights with other players.

Even if they had such plans, thanks to the game’s spy system, most would first send spies disguised as wanderers to infiltrate enemy territory and gather intelligence.

One player who had previously planted spies in Caesar’s territory shared the latest intel in the forums—leaked screenshots from inside KS's base. The guards at the entrance were attacking each other, and smoke and flames billowed from the direction of the library.

[Is this KS’s base? Why is it so chaotic?]

[What’s going on? Did his vassals rebel while he was defeated? (Laughs)]

[Serves him right!]

[Wait… didn’t you know? KS’s witch doctor vassal could cook up loyalty elixirs. That’s why his vassals never rebelled before.]

Vassal rebellion was a unique feature of *Alpha Lord*.

Due to the highly independent personalities of vassals, their loyalty would erode at different rates. Sometimes, a carefully nurtured vassal might inexplicably betray their lord after encountering certain events outside, even if the player hadn’t neglected them for long.

Some traitors might even defect to their lord’s archenemies.

To maintain vassal loyalty, players had to constantly keep tabs on their NPCs while developing their territories.

But why would Caesar bother with such tedious methods? He chose the witch doctor’s mind-control potions instead. These potions kept vassal loyalty at its peak—but once the effects wore off…

All hell broke loose.

Brainwashed vassals would go berserk, even hating their lord, with a high chance of going rogue.

Just like now.

The rebelling vassals trashed Caesar’s HQ. Combined with Ximeng’s surprise attack leading Navira’s warriors, Caesar’s territory instantly plunged into chaos, torn by civil war and external threats.

Caesar had offended too many players. Before, they had no choice but to eat their rage, fearing his military might. Now, it was time to spit them back out.

One player who had previously suffered under Caesar’s invasions even posted a call to arms in the forums. Within hours, countless others responded.

Soon, over a hundred lords, big and small, piled on against Caesar’s territory.

Caesar’s allies considered helping, but they couldn’t reach him. Assuming his pride had taken a hit after the forums exposed his defeat, they figured he was ghosting everyone.

Missing the best window to respond, and seeing so many lords united against Caesar, even his allies didn’t want to risk getting dogpiled. If they lost, they’d be humiliated across forums and video platforms—just like Caesar.

So they went radio silent, pretending to be offline.

The massive gang-up raged for most of the day. Many streamers clipped highlights of the battles, sharing them across platforms and going viral with millions of views.

Top comment: [Wow, this is really blowing up! This is even more hype than the New Year’s world boss event where lords team up to fight the boss!]

This incident truly went mainstream beyond the game’s usual sphere—even the developers’ New Year boss raid event hadn’t generated this much buzz.

……

Huh? When did I fall asleep?

Luo Ci rubbed her face and slowly lifted her little head.

Samuel noticed the moment the little one woke up. The dazed child tilted her head, her doughy cheeks imprinted with creases from the shirt buttons. A few strands of hair stuck up as she blinked blankly at the bright, sunny garden outside.

Had the blood sun ended? Did that mean the war was over too?

Samuel signaled the butler to bring the breakfast prepared earlier. The little one must have been starving—the moment the aroma reached her, she perked up at the smell.

Adorable.

Yet Samuel’s frosty gray eyes remained cold as ice. Not even the matter with Councilman Laobier had angered him this much. The child’s plump cheeks had thinned noticeably in just a few days. Who knew how long it would take to restore that chubby cheeks?

Then, a line of text, as if scrawled on etched glass, appeared on the virtual screen.

*"A long-buried identity has been unsealed."*

*"You have discovered the Devil’s relic."*

*"Qui—the Life Slate left behind by the Devil, the Devil’s descendant..."*

*"Your territory has been influenced. The faction has changed."*

Samuel frowned and pulled up the information panel. Indeed, the territory’s faction had shifted from "Locked" to "*Undying*."

"Navira Territory"

Faction: *Undying* (Cannot die in war. Unlock condition: Recruit the *Life Slate* · Qui, which will transform your territory’s inhabitants into the *Undying*.)

Region: Pisa Province

Vassals: Automaton Butler; Ximeng; Dai La Bi; Qui

Vassal Factions: None (Max loyalty vassals. Zero faction infighting.)

Public Sentiment: The residents of Navira are perfectly happy and couldn't be happier.

Territory Stats:...

Territory Prestige:...

Samuel tilted his head slightly. Initially, he had little interest in this faction transformation, but then it occurred to him—the cub was so tender-hearted and hated seeing soldiers die in war. If they became undead, the cub wouldn’t have to grieve anymore.

Thinking this way, the undead faction’s traits weren’t so bad after all.

Samuel’s gaze shifted to the cub clutching a croissant, but the screen suddenly went black, automatically returning to the login interface.

"Respected Lords: The demonic relics have been unsealed! The Devil, who once ruled over the Aelfa Continent, is about to return! The server will undergo a major version update, ushering in a brand-new chapter. The Devil left behind ten relic tablets, each corresponding to a mysterious attribute and manifesting as legendary retainers."

"After the update, Lords will be able to transform their factions by recruiting legendary retainers... Additionally, new meteor events, fog events, and an endless night mode will be introduced. The update is expected to take twelve hours. Stay tuned for more surprises!"

Samuel felt oddly hollow.

William answered a call and approached. "Sir, the chairman of Kang Dunwood Group has heard of your visit to Port City and wishes to invite you for a gathering."

Samuel was about to refuse, but then he reconsidered. The update would take twelve hours, and with nothing else to do, a gathering might be a good way to pass the time. "Accept the invitation."

William bowed. "Understood."

Meanwhile, in the peaceful Navila Manor.

Luo Ci was still dazed, rubbing her rumbling tummy. "Butler, has the war ended?"

"It has. We’ve won." The butler smiled warmly as he placed a plate of croissants on the table.

Luo Ci sighed in relief and picked up a croissant, only to notice a weird light outside the window.

She looked over.

A fireball like a meteor streaked across the sky, trailing a small tail before crashing onto the distant plains with a deafening crash.

"What’s that...?"

Even the usually omniscient butler seemed puzzled. "I’m not sure yet. I’ll send the knights to investigate."

Curious, Luo Ci ran outside to look. Then, another beam of light appeared behind her—or rather, a whirlpool of crimson-black ooze swirling upward from the direction of the Magic Spring, stretching all the way into the sky.

Her stomach twisted with dread. Though everything around her seemed vivid, it also felt strangely unreal, like a fading painting. A persistent ringing in her ears made her cover them in discomfort. It was as if this place was rejecting her, her body feeling untethered, as if it didn’t belong here.

The butler followed her out, murmuring, "There’s an old legend in the Aelfa Continent—that the Devil’s power pierces the heavens, bringing world-shaking change each time, even breaking the ‘fourth wall’..."

To Luo Ci, the butler’s voice seemed to drift in and out. The vibrant garden before her blurred, and she lost track of time. Slowly, her senses sharpened again.

She sat on the cold ground, shaking her little head and gazing around in confusion, her pale pink lips slightly parted.

This place was nothing like the manor she knew. Polished marble floors, gilded trinkets—everything glittered, grand as a five-star palace.

***

The *Aphrodite* cruise.

One of Kang Dunwood Group’s most prestigious luxury cruise ships, home to the finest gambling and entertainment venues.

But its true claim to fame was the Peter Opera Company, which performed exclusively aboard the *Aphrodite*.

Only those invited were granted entry.

Kang Dunwood twirled his glass, casually lighting a cigar as he narrowed his eyes at the performance. "The Peter Opera Company is the best I’ve ever seen."

Samuel sipped his drink indifferently. "Hence why you acquired them."

"Couldn’t risk someone else poaching them. People like us don’t let go of what we want," Kang Dunwood replied.

Samuel nodded.

Kang Dunwood chuckled. "Though opera is more for old men like me. I suppose Samuel finds it dull?"

Samuel wasn’t an opera expert, but he didn’t dislike it either.

"This piece is intriguing."

Kang Dunwood could tell he meant it.

On stage, the Peter Opera Company performed *Greene and the Little Rose*, one of their classics. Greene fell in love with a little rose, even as its thorns pierced his lips. When the rose withered, he awoke from his dream, only to realize the rose had never existed—even the pain on his lips was an illusion.

Though the plot was brief, Samuel was engrossed.

Greene had been lost in a dream, and upon waking, he was met with bottomless loneliness and loss. He had believed his love was real, only to discover it was all a fantasy—even the pain was his mind’s deception.

Wasn’t he the same? No, not entirely.

Samuel savored the hard liquor, coolly reflecting. He knew everything was virtual, mere data. He was dreaming while fully awake.

The mournful aria flowed softly. Samuel closed his eyes. Sharing folk songs, marigolds, and the real world with his little rose—wasn’t that also a kind of deception? He was acutely aware of it.

And he also knew: he simply didn’t want to wake up.

Just like Greene on stage, lying in bed, tears tracing from his eyes, unwilling to open them.

Kang Dunwood sensed there was a story here and wisely held his tongue.

Samuel’s knuckles whitening, his mood seething quietly.

What he didn’t expect was this:

Greene could choose when to wake.

But he couldn’t.

When the update notification arrived, Samuel logged in and scoured every corner of the manor with a frown. The illusion shattered.