Chapter 425: All Kinds of Monsters and Demons Have Come

Royal Palace Call! Fight for Honor and Land!

Lady Ailin Campbell will lead fifty thousand "Northern Rescue Army" to reinforce Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng! Yesterday, Grand Duke Edward Campbell issued an emergency mobilization order, declaring the establishment of a fifty-thousand-man force named the Northern Rescue Army, aiming to march to the Royal direct territory—Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng, which is in dire straits, to bring the order and glory of Campbell to our neighbors who are sinking into nightmares!

As we all know, the miserable state of Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng is no longer a secret! Continuous famine has given birth to the fire of rebellion, and rebels bewitched by hell are burning villages and looting grain, raging like a plague on this land, leaving a large number of the Kingdom of Lain's people displaced!

And the Lain nobles, who should have been protecting the borders and the people, have abandoned their sacred feudal obligations one after another, either fleeing or huddling in their castles to protect themselves, letting their own people die in despair!

"The neighbor's house is on fire, how can we sit idly by?"

His Highness the Grand Duke declared in his oral order, "We and the people of Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng are all people of the Kingdom, and the prosperity of Campbell cannot be built on the suffering of our compatriots!"

As early as two years ago, a large number of refugees surged into our cities like a tide through the Creek Plain; although we generously accepted them, using a teacup to catch water to save a burning carriage is not a solution after all!

For our kingdom, and for ourselves! We must send our brave army to solve this trouble once and for all!

For this expedition, His Highness the Grand Duke has appointed Lady Ailin Campbell, who is deeply loved by the people, as the supreme commander of the Northern Rescue Army!

Her kindness will be like a warm wind blowing to the bitter cold land, a sun shining on the sinking land, bringing comfort to the suffering, and using the sharp sword in her hand to send the troublemakers to the gallows of judgment! It is worth mentioning that the core of this mobilization is not only to fulfill our obligations to the kingdom, but also to provide every Campbell person with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

His Highness the Grand Duke clearly pointed out in his oral order that the chaos in Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng is due to the dereliction of duty of the nobles of all sizes within the province; they are no longer worthy of being vassals of King Xioden, and the Provincial Viceroy Baron Alaric appointed by the King also believes so!

According to the request of the Provincial Viceroy, all land liberated by the Campbell reinforcements will be governed by the Campbell Duchy in the name of trusteeship!

Our respected Grand Duke promises here that anyone who establishes merit in this rebellion suppression, regardless of status and class, will have the opportunity to receive the Grand Duke's knighthood, and thereby obtain a piece of land belonging to themselves in Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng!

What a generous decision, a brand new era is beckoning to us! Industrious farmers will have the opportunity to become manor owners with their own fields, and brave citizens will have the opportunity to become knights who open up new territories! The moment to change our destiny is right here!

Go, people of Campbell! Your sweat and courage will turn into wealth and glory that your descendants can inherit in this glorious march!

Use the fire and sword in your hands to win a brand new future for yourself and for our duchy!

Glory will eventually belong to us!

Victory too!! — Lei Ming City Daily, Issue

】

Just as Grand Duke Edward expected, on the day this blockbuster news was published in the Lei Ming City newspaper, the entire Lei Ming County and even the entire duchy were boiling! In the new city area on the outskirts of Lei Ming City, there were porridge relief points set up by Her Highness Ailin Campbell among the low shanties.

A group of ragged people were waiting here in line, waiting to receive rations for their families.

Although the prosperity of industry had created a large number of jobs, not everyone could successfully find suitable work.

This was the same as bread.

When there was more bread on the market, bread would become cheaper. And when there were more people, people would naturally become cheaper.

However, people were ultimately different from bread.

Bread had no pursuits, didn't need to worry about tomorrow, and if it couldn't be sold, it would at most mold and rot. However, people were creatures that lived for tomorrow; even if the life before them was hopeless, they had to find a goal for tomorrow.

Unemployed refugees were already used to waiting near the porridge relief points, looking to see which factory or wharf needed casual labor, so they could take the opportunity to earn a few copper coins to buy clothes for their children, or go to a tavern to drink a few cups.

However, today was different from the past.

Everyone didn't wait for the hands recruiting temporary workers, but waited for a big job that made everyone's spirits lift.

I saw a young man wearing a felt hat nail the newspaper to the wooden stake beside the porridge relief point.

A group of people surrounded it, and after piecing together, they finally gathered a hand who knew half the characters, reading the content on the newspaper one after another.

"Grand Duke Campbell decided to mobilize fifty thousand conscripts to send troops to reinforce Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng..."

"Whether noble or commoner, there is an opportunity to obtain a piece of land belonging to oneself?! Wait, I didn't read it wrong, right? Is His Highness the Grand Duke serious?!"

"Can't be wrong, there is the Royal seal on this! I recognize this seal, Her Highness Ailin's flag also has it!"

"... Oh, Saint Xisi is above, praise the Grand Duke! Praise Ailin!!"

Excited voices rose and fell in the crowd, almost every face showed an expression of joy, and the pupils dimmed by hard labor burned with the light of hope for the first time.

Land!

This word was like an addictive drug, grabbing everyone's eyes and heartbeat!

Especially for those serfs who had lost their land, they simply longed too much to own a piece of land belonging to themselves! That would mean they wouldn't have to go hungry, wouldn't have to drink that wheat porridge that was as thin as water, and wouldn't have to endure a boss as mean and stingy as Horace...

And most crucially, they wouldn't have to helplessly watch the increasingly thin faces of their wives and children! As for fighting...

That was actually nothing to be afraid of.

Campbell people were a nation sitting on a powder keg; they had been fighting the Demon King since they opened their eyes, sometimes in the fields, sometimes in the labyrinth.

Especially those serfs who had once served the lords, they were soldiers when the bell rang, and everyone knew how to use a musket!

They had even fought demons, so naturally, they wouldn't fear fighting another group of farmers! Instead, those refugees who had fled from Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng had a trace of cowardice remaining on their longing faces.

For one thing, they had seen the terror of the Green Forest Army, and for another, their mood about going back to fight their own fellow villagers was actually complex.

An honest man couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva and whispered.

"But... fighting will kill people."

His words had just fallen when they were drowned out by the rising and falling laughter.

"Haha! Buddy! Isn't that nonsense!"

A middle-aged man who hadn't shaved his beard for a long time patted him on the shoulder hard, grinning and joking.

"Don't say fighting will kill people; even drinking water might choke you to death! If you're afraid, you'd better go home and find your mom!"

Listening to the jeering laughter, the honest man's face flushed red, and it took him a long time of stammering before he could squeeze out a sentence.

"I'm not afraid of death! But I have two sons and a daughter... if I die, what will they do?"

The middle-aged man grinned, cast his gaze toward the newspaper nailed to the wooden stake again, his eyes burning as he said.

"The benevolent Grand Duke has already considered it for you; all soldiers who die in battle have a pension, paid by the Royal Family, enough for your three children to live a few good years!"

Praise Grand Duke Campbell! If the reward of land only made him move, then this pension was what truly made him make up his mind!

If he could use these two taels of meat on his body to exchange for a bright future for his children, let them have money to go to school to read and write, and one day walk out of this dilapidated slum... don't say die once, even if he were pulled up by a necromancer after death and died again, he would risk it!

His words resonated with many people, and the last trace of cowardice was extinguished in the rising and falling sound waves.

"That's right, buddy!"

"Death is a matter of an instant, poverty is a matter of a lifetime!"

"And I saw on the newspaper that all soldiers who die in battle have a pension, and the land obtained through military merit can also be inherited by children!"

"Damn it, I'll do it!"

"Count me in!"

"For Campbell! For the Kingdom!"

This was the first time in history that before the pot of porridge boiled, the poor people waiting for alms actually left their queue.

They rushed to the recruitment point with full enthusiasm, fearing that if they went a step late, the fifty thousand spots would be snatched up.

And when they arrived, they discovered that the people queuing weren't just people who had nothing like them, but also adventurers carrying great swords, sailors drifting on the sea, citizens wearing shirts with collars, and even knights and nobles bringing their own armor and horses.

The last time they were so united was when Demon King Delagon threatened to destroy Lei Ming City.

"Saint Xisi is above..."

Looking at the long line of Campbell people queuing up to save their fellow countrymen in Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng, the ascetic monk passing by couldn't help but shed tears of emotion, sending them sincere prayers.

May the Holy Lord protect these devout people!

If Saint Xisi was watching them, perhaps he would really be moved by their unity.

The industrious and brave Campbell people had never been as loyal as they were today...

It wasn't just the passing ascetic monk who felt incredible about this hot scene, but also the players who happened to be strolling around the suburbs of Lei Ming City exploring the map.

Since the launch of the "Artificial Human" role, the development team of Disaster OL had optimized the game content several times. Nowadays, the players who "grew" from Gray Wind were no different from real people, so there had always been figures of "pseudo-humans" in Lei Ming County.

As the Demon King's loyal eyes and ears, they had always played the role of scouts, tirelessly moving the recent situation of Lei Ming City to the official forum, hoping to attract people's attention.

Even to move content more conveniently, they had self-taught the Aus Empire language in the game! It could be said they were quite serious!

Unfortunately, it was useless.

Likes weren't that easy to cheat.

Because the map of Disaster OL was getting bigger and bigger, the recent updates were getting further and further away from Lei Ming City. Nowadays, there weren't many players left in the initial "novice village."

Especially those t0 and t1 tier players who had already developed, they were either playing in the broader Gana Continent or exploring the "New Continent" that was said to connect to the entrance of Hell.

The former had lizardmen who didn't discriminate against the undead, and the latter had vast enough land for free exploration.

It was precisely because of this that Lei Ming City, this former novice village, seemed to have become a thing of the past, fading out of the center of the players' vision. These players left in Lei Ming City seemed to have become lonely old people.

However, today's situation seemed a bit different; 【One Punch One Yingyingguai】 was seeing for the first time those Lei Ming City citizens who had gone crazy speculating on stocks participating in the war cause so fanatically.

"War mobilization? Damn, what are they trying to do? Are they going to fight the Demon King?" Looking at the long line of people, 【One Punch One Yingyingguai】 couldn't help but rub his hands excitedly.

Hurry up! His big sword was already thirsty!

【Village Entrance Hair-Ironing Master】 walked to the edge of the notice board in the square, staring at the notice posted on it and touching his chin, an expression of surprise appearing on his face.

"Grand Duke Campbell decided to send troops to reinforce Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng... Good guy, is it a new event?"

Hearing that a new event was out, the players gathered in front of the notice board were immediately excited.

After a great deal of effort, through the chatter and exchange of everyone, they finally gathered half a translator and understood all the content on the notice board.

And once they understood, everyone couldn't help but shout "Damn."

"Damn! Task reward... knighthood and land!?"

"Damn! There's also a pension for dying in battle?! There's such a good thing??"

Fighting for the Demon King wasn't even this cool!

As everyone knew, offering loyalty to the Demon King had a price; unless it was a special in-game event, dying not only meant deducting contribution points but also deducting money! Although it was underworld currency, that was also money they had earned hard by doing tasks! Seeing the reward was so generous, the watching players couldn't help but show expressions of being moved.

【One Punch One Yingyingguai】 swallowed a mouthful of saliva and said eagerly.

"Should we also participate and try?"

This immediately resonated with countless players; they hadn't caused trouble for too long! This opportunity couldn't be missed!

"Good idea!"

"Try it! From today on, I am a root-red and seedling-straight Campbell person!"

"Oh oh oh! For the Grand Duke! For Her Highness the Princess!"

"Damn it, you traitors, do you still remember that you are the Demon King's lackeys... wait, count me in!"

Everyone hit it off and happily squeezed into the registration line.

Because the Campbell Duchy didn't have any saying about identity verification, the officer in charge of recruitment didn't carefully confirm their identities, and really let them walk to the table at the registration point

The recruitment officer in charge of registration was busy beyond measure; he didn't even lift his eyelids, and upon seeing someone walk over, he asked.

"Name! Specialization!"

"ID... cough! Yingyingguai!" 【One Punch Per Yingyingguai】 patted his chest and said in broken Imperial, "Specialization, I am especially long!"

The recruitment officer, who was writing on a form, couldn't hold it together and nearly snapped his quill in half.

What did he mean by "especially long"? He looked up, annoyed, wanting to see which blind fool was causing trouble, only to see a 1.8-meter-tall burly man staring at him with burning eyes.

Compared to the group of malnourished wretches around him, this guy was practically a crane among chickens.

Sturdy, strong, and... indeed quite long!

This was prime material for the front lines! In the Campbell army, there was a special branch called grenadiers, and it was exactly these kinds of big, strapping lads they needed.

They would advance through the hail of bullets from both friendly and enemy forces, and upon closing to a distance of 60 paces, they would smash jars filled with black powder fiercely into the enemy phalanx! The recruitment officer's eyes were shining as if they were glowing, as if he had struck gold. He didn't even mind that the man hadn't answered his question properly, and with a face full of smiles, he wrote his name on the form.

"Yingyingguai... is it? What a strange name. Are you truly a Campbellian?"

"I-I-I..." 【One Punch Per Yingyingguai】 couldn't help but stutter. His Common was not yet fluent; he had memorized that previous sentence in advance, but he couldn't even understand this one, so naturally, he didn't know how to answer.

Just as he was getting so anxious that sweat was about to break out, the recruitment officer seemed even more anxious than him. As if afraid he might change his mind, he grabbed his hand and pressed his thumbprint onto the register.

"It doesn't matter, pal. No matter where you were from before, no matter if you're literate, a stutterer, or whether your brain works well—from today on, you are a Campbellian! Congratulations, soldier! Take your dog tag and uniform and go report!"

The recruitment officer stood up, gripped his right hand, and patted his sturdy shoulder firmly.

Hm? Why did it feel a bit soft? Forget it, it's not a big deal! 【One Punch Per Yingyingguai】 returned the recruitment officer a simple, honest smile, and just like that, muddled and confused, he took the dog tag and military uniform handed over by a nearby soldier and went to report at the assembly point next door.

And behind him, the recruitment officer began to pull in the next conscript, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Next!"

"Me-me-me!"

"Name! Spe—"

"ID 'Professional Nuclear Submarine Repair'! I'm a main C, my specialty is soloing the Boar Forest, never wiped once! I can play T too, I come with my own milk bottle..."

"Uh... uh-uh, the name is... uh, Dragonfly, right? Very good, Private Dragonfly, from now on you are also a Campbellian."

"..."

"Dungeon! Dungeon! Oh oh oh oh!"

"Fobo, right? Saint Xisi above... damn, finally someone who can speak human language!"

The recruitment line grew longer and longer.

And what was most incredible was that the quality of this batch of conscripts was unexpectedly high. Not only were they physically imposing, but quite a few were actually transcendents with Bronze-tier strength! At first, the recruitment officer had some doubts—why wouldn't these people go be adventurers if they were so badass? But soon, when a burly man shouted "land," the doubts in his heart were instantly resolved.

Even disabled people with brain issues dreamed of having a piece of land of their own.

Watching the group head toward the recruit camp, he felt moved, and at the same time, he silently prayed in his heart for the Campbell Principality.

Saint Xisi above, please do not blame your subjects for being selfish. I implore you to let these brain-damaged fellows stay in the Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng forever and turn into fertilizer on the battlefield.

He truly could not imagine that this group of fellows who couldn't even speak clearly could perform meritorious service on the battlefield, or even one day truly become a knight or even a baron.

If such a thing really happened, he wasn't sure if he would fall into despair...