Chapter 207: Awaken

"Niksalan people, stride toward the long night that belongs to you."

Whispers like smoke rose to the ears of the Niksalan people, a pressure as heavy as mercury sweeping the whole city; Selennye's gentle moonlight was covered by a massive shadow.

Majestic as a mountain range, a silver giant dragon gleaming with metallic luster flew across the sky; countless magical runes formed patterns on its scales, emitting mysterious blue light. The dragon's vast wings spread, blotting out the sun, as if it could command the entire sky's currents. The silver veins on the wings pulsed like beating vessels, brimming with power.

His head held high, a pair of violet eyes flashing with regal light, causing everyone to lose themselves within.

"God!" the Niksalan people exclaimed.

Yet their awe at the sky‑borne beauty was short‑lived; soon they discovered something far more terrifying.

A distant rumble like a muffled thunder rolled in, and the ground trembled slightly. Immediately, nearly ten thousand black knights surged into the city like a raging black tide.

They wore black battle armor that glittered cold light under the moon, as if a legion of ghosts from the abyss. Their black cloaks flapped behind them, rolling like a black cloud.

The knights rode towering, fierce black warhorses; the hoofbeats sounded like rapid drums, deafening. Hot breath puffed from the horses' mouths and noses, forming clouds of white vapor in the air.

"Damn! Is that the dragon again?! And those troops—why did no one stop them!"

Seeing this, Kusko inhaled a sharp breath of cold air, his expression wavering.

At that moment he realized everything that night was wrong; whether the dragon or those soldiers that had sprung from nowhere, they must be linked to Duzula Shiliu Shi.

The barracks of Duzula City still housed nearly twenty‑five thousand soldiers; without Duzula's approval, they could not have breached the city gates so easily.

"Hmph, since you're courting death, don't blame me; this is all because you forced me!"

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Kusko's eyes; he knew he could no longer vacillate. With such a massive formation and the Divine power wave he had just sensed, he had to activate the pyramid's defensive stance. Whether the citizens were mistakenly harmed was no longer his concern.

He summoned a golden circular phantom, the controller of the "Hymn to the Sun God", which could only be wielded by Taizka's shamanic power.

"Great Sun God, protect your followers."

Kusko whispered the prayer; the circular phantom radiated dazzling light, and golden radiance lit the outside of the pyramid.

The soldiers at the gate panicked, the pyramid's great door slammed shut, the guards could not return, yet the pyramid's activation continued.

Buzz—

The buzzing echoed through the city; the Niksalan people's faces changed dramatically, for they knew it signaled the pyramid's activation, and they hurried outward.

A golden energy ring appeared around the base of the pyramid; soldiers within the ring were instantly vaporized by terrifying positive energy, turning into a heap of ash.

Energy auras layered outward; just as the pyramid was about to fully activate, a sudden anomaly erupted!

Taizka!!!!

An illusory female scream rang through the city; Kusko, seated within the pyramid, also heard it, glanced around bewildered, yet found no source.

Suddenly, a massive green Spell Circle materialized in the sky above the city without warning. The circle was mysterious and strange, woven from strands of green light that flickered with an ancient totemic aura.

Then, a dazzling, blinding green beam shot straight from the circle toward the pyramid. The beam carried an indescribable, overwhelming force; the air along its path warped, rippling in visible concentric waves, its brilliance almost impossible to stare at.

The golden ring, bathed in green light, shrank continuously, as if being absorbed like nutrients into the endless green realm. With a "Bang", the phantom in Kusko's hand exploded.

"Is this the 【Harmonious Greenfield】 ritual?!" Kusko's expression turned shocked; though slightly different, he instantly recognized the origin of the skyward circle.

"Damn, how could this be? How could they set a Spell Circle without my knowledge?" Kusko thought, "The Harmonious Greenfield requires an Artifact‑paired, ultra‑spec Spell Circle, even more complex than a typical Legendary spell; the whole circle can essentially be regarded as an extremely powerful Legendary sealing spell."

These heretics must have etched the basic Spell Circle across the entire city to trigger such a massive ritual—how could that be possible?

Even with Duzula's help to conceal it, the temple forces should not have missed any trace.

"Wait…"

Suddenly, Kusko recalled the Divine power wave he had sensed earlier, which seemed to come from directly beneath the pyramid.

"Sewer!"

His complexion changed; he immediately cast a Divine Spell, projecting everything in the underground chamber, and indeed discovered the nascent Spell Circle and the three Saifal.

Damn.

Kusko inhaled deeply, striving to stay calm; the pyramid's power was still locked in a stalemate with the Spell Circle, and a few more minutes were needed for a complete seal.

He had to devise a way to survive.

Putting aside the dragon, Duzula's army alone was beyond his capacity; even if many loyal soldiers might rebel under his call, he must not forget the mysterious troops that had suddenly broken in.

Their fine equipment and stout warhorses marked them as far from ordinary characters.

"Great Taizka, your followers call upon you, pleading for your revelation." Kusko knelt, eyes closed, praying.

!

A vague, ethereal voice answered his prayer.

"Awaken."

"Duzula"

"the Second."

A smile lit Kusko's face; the deity responded, Great Taizka had not abandoned him!

Yet he fell into doubt again—Awaken Duzula the Second? What did that mean?

Soon, the complete information streamed into Kusko's mind.

"What? The evil god Kwalte dares to seal my lord's great elect? Legendary power. Sacrifice opens the gate."

Kusko's smile froze.

The content of the message shocked him to the core.

The so‑called Duzula the Second was a legendary‑level strongman from a generation a thousand years prior, a chosen of Taizka, sealed by the evil god Kwalte within the pyramid beneath Duzula City, kilometers underground.

If he were awakened, Duzula City would be saved; moreover, the message emphasized the danger of foreign continent people, stating that Duzula the Second would lead the Niksalan people to defeat the invaders, and even the Kurtaka Kingdom would, out of respect for Duzula the Second, pause its invasion.

In short, it was a grand promise, outlining all the benefits of awakening Duzula the Second for Kusko.

Normally, a deity need not make such promises when commanding a follower; death and ascent to the Divine Realm is the greatest promise.

But now the situation was different.

To open the gate to the underground world, Kusko must sacrifice everything he has, to break Kwalte's seal.

That means everything, including his soul, will be destroyed.

(End of Chapter)