Boom!!!
In the Northern Territory Empire, a group of Barbarians were feasting, drinking, and chatting merrily when a sudden, deafening explosion shook the ground violently. Some Barbarians, already unsteady on their feet, were thrown to the ground with a thud, collapsing unconscious.
The other Barbarians exchanged puzzled glances.
"What was that?"
"Is the Northern Territory prone to earthquakes?"
"I don't know. I've never experienced anything like this before."
A Barbarian nearby suddenly stood up and said, "Hey guys, your tolerance is weak! Can't handle a little shake? I didn't feel the ground shake at all. You're probably just seeing things from all the drinking."
"Eh? Could that be it?" the others wondered.
"Yeah, that's it! Come on, brothers, keep drinking!" the Barbarian urged.
A closer look revealed that the Barbarians who suspected an earthquake were all from the Former Falcon Clan, while the one urging them to drink was part of the Northern Territory Empire's 200,000 troops.
The reason was simple: Cerydra had already instructed everyone that "strange phenomena" might occur during the celebration and to help cover them up.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Just as everyone had taken another small sip of their drinks, the ground began to tremble violently, accompanied by ear-splitting explosions and a high-pitched, keening wail—the kind a canine might make when struck.
The Barbarian from the Former Falcon Clan furrowed his brow. "Huh? Did I just hear a wolf howling?"
"And it was a wail... Could it be the Wolf God's emissaries, the White Wolves, are under attack?!"
However, the Barbarian informant, who had been briefed by Cerydra beforehand, countered, "Nah, mate, no wolf howls here. You must be hearing things. I don't hear a thing."
The Former Falcon Clan Barbarian perked up his ears. "Listen for yourself! I'm still sober as a judge—I haven't had too much to drink and I'm damn sure I'm not mistaken!"
This time, however, it wasn't a wail but a deep, resonant, low-frequency hum: Hum~hum~hum~.
The sound resembled distant thunder or the bass section of a grand orchestral instrument—the call of a whale, one of the loudest sounds on Earth, capable of traveling hundreds of kilometers. Even just hearing it sent shivers down their spines.
The Former Falcon Clan Barbarian was stunned. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw a colossal, sky-blue whale—so massive it seemed to blot out the sun—breach the icy surface. After executing a perfect 180-degree flip in mid-air, it crashed back down, its back slamming into the ice.
But "crash" wasn't quite the right word. The whale was so enormous that the barbarian felt like he'd witnessed a meteorite impact. This was immediately followed by an even more earth-shattering roar.
BOOM!!!
The ground trembled violently. Several barbarians were jolted more than a meter into the air mid-stride, while food flew from the tables, scattering across the chaotic scene when it landed.
Fortunately, most of the wine glasses were still clutched in the barbarians' hands. Sensing the imminent chaos, many had instinctively drained their glasses in the first split-second of the upheaval, ensuring no precious liquor went to waste.
The barbarian who had just voiced his skepticism now mumbled dazedly, "Fine, I take it back. I must be drunk out of my mind. How else could I see a whale flying through the sky?"
Burp!
He belched loudly, then collapsed backward onto the ground, his eyes fixed on the sky.
-
The perspective shifted back to Hysilens. Her clothes were completely soaked, and she gripped her sword with one hand, warily watching the five crimson giant wolves before her.
This wasn't a Clone-like ability. The Northern Wolf God clearly held Authority over the Wolf Pack. Hysilens could sense that all five giant wolves were the God's true forms. In fact, she had already slain several giant wolves before, and these five were newly emerged.
"Awooo~"
With a wolf's howl, the five giant wolves surged forward in unison, lunging toward Hysilens. But at that very moment, a colossal, abyss-like maw erupted from beneath the ice. A gargantuan whale shattered the frozen surface, swallowing Hysilens and the five wolves whole in a single gulp.
This was precisely the scene the Barbarian had witnessed moments before: the whale arcing through the air before crashing back onto the ice. While many might assume this "crash" was the whale's attack method, it was merely the natural way for it to return to the water.
Since this whale was entirely composed of water—a manifestation of Hysilens' Authority—its belly was naturally filled with water, but at an extreme pressure. Imagine compressing a hundred square meters of water into a mere ten square meters—the crushing force within was immense.
Though only compressed tenfold, for water, this was an utterly absurd degree of compression. Being in such an environment was no different from being sealed directly into a wall. The five giant wolves were completely immobilized. The fact that they weren't instantly crushed into pulp already proved the exceptional physical resilience of their bodies.
However, this environment posed no challenge whatsoever to Hysilens. Like a nimble fish or an executioner poised to strike, she glided effortlessly to the first giant wolf with a slight sway of her body. Raising her long blade, she aimed a precise strike at its neck.
With such a motionless, fixed target, a miss was impossible. With a swift stroke, the first giant wolf was decapitated instantly, unable even to utter a whimper. The remaining four wolves frantically opened their mouths, their intentions unclear, but the result was disastrous: seawater surged into their mouths, further compounding their predicament.
Just as Hysilens prepared to strike again, the four remaining wolves transformed into crimson phantoms, gradually dissipating into nothingness.
Seeing this, Hysilens wasn't particularly surprised. The situation mirrored her first encounter with the "Wolf God" perfectly—after taking a thorough beating, it had tucked its tail between its legs and fled.
Unlike their previous encounter, when Hysilens had slain the Wolf God once, causing it to flee immediately, this time the ongoing sacrificial ceremony, combined with the lingering resentment from its earlier defeat, drove the Wolf God to both participate in the ritual and seek revenge. As a result, their battle dragged on longer, and Hysilens killed it multiple times.
Thump, thump. Hysilens swam out of the whale's belly and back onto the ice. Mentally counting, she estimated she had killed the Wolf God seven times during the fight. She could clearly sense that its power had been significantly diminished.
There was no need to actively hunt this creature. All she had to do was wait like a hunter watching a rabbit burrow, holding a sacrificial ceremony each moon and killing the Wolf God several times during each event. Before long, the creature would be weakened beyond recovery.
Moreover, as the Barbarians ceased offering their faith, this false Wolf God would draw ever closer to its true demise.
Following the ceremony, the Northern Territory Empire resumed its slow expansion. More envoys were dispatched to seek out scattered clans and invite them to join the empire.
By now, the Northern Territory Empire had grown immensely powerful. Many clan bosses, upon witnessing the grandeur of its flourishing cities, were immediately awestruck. Some even surrendered without Cerydra needing to personally persuade them.
-
Time flowed relentlessly onward. In the blink of an eye, a month had passed, and the population of the Northern Territory Empire had swelled to 520,000. The first group of Barbarians sent to mine Truefrost successfully returned with a chest full of the precious material, proving the feasibility of the operation. Cerydra promptly dispatched more workers.
Then, during the end-of-month celebration, Hysilens once again beheaded the 'Wolf God'.
In the second month, the Northern Territory Empire's population grew to 550,000. The first weapons crafted from Truefrost were completed, but their extreme cold proved problematic. Weaker Barbarians suffered injuries simply by handling the weapons, while only the strongest warriors could wield them briefly, even with heavily insulated grips.
The month also brought unwelcome news: Cerydra's ambitious actions had finally attracted the attention of the Dragon Ember Empire and the All Nations Alliance, who had begun sending envoys to the Northern Territory to investigate the situation.
As before, the end of the month was marked by a celebration, followed by the ritual beheading of the 'Wolf God'.
In the third moon, a Tan Barbarian claiming to be an envoy from the Black Bear Clan arrived at the Northern Territory Empire. He had actually set out long ago but had become lost in the Ice Plains and nearly died before being rescued by Hysilens, who happened to be swimming nearby.
After half a day of rest and recovery, the Barbarian eagerly sought out Cerydra.
The Tan Barbarian froze for a moment upon first seeing Cerydra. Scratching his head sheepishly, he stammered, "Um... you're the Boss of the 'Northern Territory Empire Clan'?"
Cerydra: "..."
One had to admit, anyone who could come up with the term "Northern Territory Empire Clan" was quite the character. Cerydra's lips twitched slightly as she replied, "That's me. So... what brings you here?"
The Tan Barbarian said, "I must admit, you're quite different from what I imagined. But your clan is truly impressive! Are those buildings outside? And all these plants growing everywhere—you can actually grow food on the ice? That's incredible!"
"And there are so many people here! More than in our Black Bear Clan! I bet you could really unify the entire Northern Territory!"
Cerydra was stunned. Her understanding of the Black Bear Clan was that they were the most powerful clan in the Northern Territory, stationed in the far northwest to defend against demon incursions. Beyond that, she knew nothing.
Now, a sudden envoy had arrived. Cerydra initially suspected they had come to provoke her, threatened by her clan's growing influence. But instead, she was faced with a walking compliment machine.
The Tan Barbarian continued, "Don't doubt me—I'm telling you the honest truth!"
Cerydra nodded. To be honest, she didn't doubt the barbarian's sincerity for a moment. She'd sooner believe Dave could catch a fish than believe this guy was lying to trick her.
The Barbarian continued, "But truth be told, our Black Bear Clan has the strength to unite the entire Northern Territory. Boss Arthur is the most formidable leader our clan has seen in nearly a century! He can even wield that axe that curses nonstop with ease."
"Unfortunately, Arthur swore to his father never to let a single demon escape from that giant pit. Though he longs to unify the Northern Territory, he can't abandon the Northwest Region."
Pausing, the Barbarian lowered his voice slightly, "I have unwavering faith in Boss Arthur's strength. Conquering the Northern Territory would be no challenge for him. But maintaining long-term rule? That's likely impossible. It would probably crumble again sooner or later. You, Imperator, on the other hand, seem to have the potential for lasting dominion."
"Ahem!" the Barbarian cleared his throat. "Of course, the Northern Territory still settles things with brute force. That's why Boss Arthur sent me here to extend an invitation: he challenges you to a duel. If you win, you may continue your campaign of unification, and he will join your Empire. But if you lose, you must abandon your ambitions and disband your current Clan."
Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he added, "Oh, right! Even if you win and Boss Arthur becomes your subordinate, you probably won't be able to order him around freely. After all, he still needs to guard the cave entrance and can't just wander off."
It had to be said, this Barbarian spoke with astonishing bluntness, leaving no room for deception. In normal negotiations between two factions, wouldn't you expect them to be full of deceit and traps?
Yet this fellow had even confessed that Arthur wouldn't obey orders after surrendering! It was like Cerydra going to the market, only for this Barbarian to blurt out, "My cost price for this is ten coins. I really can't go any lower. Take it for ten."
In truth, if Cerydra had been more cunning, knowing that the Black Bear Clan's Boss Imperator couldn't stray too far from the Northwest Region, she could have devised countless ways to wear down the clan to death.
But since they were in the Northern Territory, she decided to settle things the Barbarian way. Cerydra nodded. "Very well! I accept your Boss's challenge!"