"You want to sacrifice the Eternal Little Queen? To resurrect Nagash?" Ryan shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't understand why the Lady of the Lake would suggest such a thing. "Why would you want to resurrect Nagash? Don't you know how much destruction the Undying King would bring to the world if he were revived?"
"I know," the Lady of the Lake admitted, aware that her idea was somewhat extreme.
Who was Aliathra? She was the love child of the Eternal Queen Alarielle and Tyrion! She was the niece of Teclis, the first chosen of Lileath, and the daughter of Isha, the first chosen of Isha, who was Lileath's mother!
"But without Nagash's undead armies to counter the tide of Chaos, our forces will almost certainly not survive the End Times," the Lady of the Lake explained to the group. "Ryan, you know this. You saw how difficult it was to repel Morkar's invasion, and that was only a fraction of Chaos' full strength. Yes, I know you and your wolf brother might be able to defeat Morkar, but this new Everchosen is different."
"Different?" Sulia was intrigued. The knightly queen took the Lady's hand. "How is he different, my Lady?"
"This new Everchosen, Archaon, has gathered six Chaos artifacts," the Lady of the Lake frowned. "In terms of raw power, Archaon was weaker than Morkar before receiving the blessings of the Chaos Gods. But after receiving their blessings and gathering the six Chaos artifacts, his power has been elevated to an unimaginable level. What's most terrifying is that the six artifacts have amplified his strength hundreds, if not thousands, of times. He is nearly impossible to kill. Even the strongest attack I've seen from Asuryan could only wound him at best. And I can sense that the blessings Archaon received from the Chaos Gods are different from those given to previous Everchosen."
"Moreover, Archaon won't be as foolish as Morkar. Morkar was driven by vengeance and constantly took to the battlefield himself. Archaon won't do that," the Lady continued. "How many armies do you have to throw at him?"
"Are you saying that as long as Archaon cannot be killed, the Chaos armies will keep coming endlessly?" Olica mused, leaning on Ryan's back and whispering in his ear. "Master, what Lileath says might not be false. The Elves once defeated the Chaos armies under Aenarion's leadership, but the relentless attacks over a century or two eventually wore them down, leading to their downfall."
"I know that," Ryan nodded, his voice grave. "We don't even need to talk about the Elves. Just look at the Lizardmen, the firstborn of the Old Ones. During the first Chaos invasion, the Lizardmen once gained the upper hand and suppressed hundreds of Chaos legions. But Chaos was endless, and after centuries of war, the Lizardmen could no longer hold out. The first generation of Slann all perished in battle, and the once-glorious firstborn of the Old Ones were greatly weakened, forced to retreat to Lustria and defend their last stronghold."
"So, my Lady, you're saying we need to resurrect Nagash and have his undead armies fight Chaos in a war of attrition?" Morgiana interjected, her face filled with disgust. "But my Lady, how can we ensure that Nagash will cooperate with us? What if he turns on us?"
"That is indeed a problem," the Lady of the Lake sighed. "But we have no other choice. The Great Vortex is collapsing rapidly. Ryan, Sulia, Olica, and Morgiana, you must have noticed the chaos in the Old World recently. If the Great Vortex completely collapses, the situation will become ten, even a hundred times worse! That's why we must resurrect Nagash."
"Wait..." Ryan raised a hand to stop the Lady. "I need to clarify something. It's not just Nagash who can control the undead. Other necromancers can also raise undead armies."
"Because... we need the Eight Winds," the Lady of the Lake hesitated for a moment before deciding to reveal her plan.
In short, once the Great Vortex collapses, the Winds of Magic, which have been bound and restricted by the Vortex, will be unleashed upon the world. Chaos Daemons will no longer be constrained, and the mortal world will face a full-scale Chaos invasion, just like during the first Chaos invasion. Daemons will directly enter the mortal world, and the Winds of Chaos will continuously blow across the world, corrupting everything and turning it into the Realm of Chaos.
However, the collapse of the Great Vortex doesn't mean there are no benefits. The Eight Winds of Magic, which have been divided and restricted for thousands of years, will be released, and magic will become whole again. Beings like Ryan will have their full power unleashed.
What Lileath is after is the power of the Eight Winds. The Lady of the Lake made it clear to Ryan and the others that if the Great Vortex is allowed to collapse, the Eight Winds will quickly seek hosts, and there's a high chance they will be claimed by Chaos.
Lileath believes that only by gathering the Eight Winds' avatars can they stand a chance against Archaon and defeat him.
Ryan sneered, thinking that the Lady of the Lake might have forgotten something, but he didn't voice it. Instead, he asked, "Does it have to be Nagash? Can't someone else do it?"
"Who else in the realm of Death can control the Eight Winds?" the Lady of the Lake sighed. "The Rose of Nuln's graveyard? Sorry, she's far from capable enough to unleash the true power of the Wind of Death. Or perhaps Mannfred von Carstein? Or the Lich King Arkhan? No, Arkhan is Nagash's loyal hound. He won't cooperate with us unless Nagash is resurrected. Mannfred... let's not even talk about him."
Ryan had to admit that the Lady of the Lake had a point. Aside from Nagash, no one else was as proficient in Death and Necromancy magic, nor could they easily command the dead across the world.
"Don't think I'm exaggerating," the Lady of the Lake crossed her arms and continued. "Take Middenheim, the White Wolf City, for example. Yes, the city is protected by Ulric, the White Wolf God. As long as the White Wolf's flame burns, Chaos armies can't enter the city in large numbers. They can only rely on Chaos cultists to cause trouble. But that's because of the Great Vortex's suppression. As long as the Vortex exists, Middenheim will remain safe. But once the Vortex is gone, Ryan, how long do you think Ulric can protect the city on his own against endless Chaos armies?"
"How long?" Ryan asked casually.
"A few years at most. Even Ulric, the God of War, can't maintain city-level defensive magic for long," Lileath shook her head. "If that happens, the fall of Middenheim will only be a matter of time. Besides, the city's food reserves can only last two or three years at most."
"Hmm..." Ryan grunted. He wanted to lean back but remembered Olica was still on his back. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "Olica, can you bind the Wind of Death?"
"Unfortunately, Master, I specialize in Dark Magic," Olica shook her head. "Even if I were to seize the power of the Pale Queen, the Pale Queen governs the souls of Elves in the underworld. The Wind of Death would not only be of no help but could also harm my divine authority and essence."
The situation left Ryan feeling frustrated. They had spent so much time discussing Aliathra's fate, only for the Lady of the Lake to suggest sacrificing her now?
But Ryan could also understand the Lady's reasoning.
Why sacrifice Aliathra? Why resurrect Nagash? Why gather the Eight Winds' avatars?
Because it was a desperate gamble for survival. As the Lady of the Lake had said, once the Great Vortex and the Great Wards collapsed, the mortal world would have no chance against the tide of Chaos. Without the Vortex, Chaos could endlessly spawn armies in the Northern and Southern Wastes.
What was the point of holding out for a year or two? How could mortals possibly outlast Chaos?
The Lady of the Lake's plan had a low chance of success—perhaps only a ten to twenty percent chance, and that was only because of the changes Ryan had brought. Otherwise, as she had said before, out of countless possibilities, only one led to success, with a few ending in stalemates.
But in simple terms, if she didn't take this risk, everyone would slowly march toward death. If she did, the world might end faster, but there was also a slim chance of survival.
As had been said before, not taking the risk meant certain death, while taking the risk might lead to survival. So why not take the chance? Gamble a little, and a bicycle might turn into a motorcycle. Small bets feed the family, big bets bring wealth, and huge bets secure the nation.
Whose child cries every day? Which brother loses every time? To get rich, place a big bet. Three or five bottles, a couple of punches—win or lose, it's all fate... ahem, I digress.
According to Lileath, only the Eight Winds' avatars, powerful beings like Ryan who specialized in combating Chaos, or Angron, whose physical prowess was at the mortal world's limit, could deal true damage to Archaon's six-artifact-enhanced form.
The chance to defeat Archaon lay in Nagash resurrecting all the dead in the world to fight Chaos head-on.
Otherwise, given the scale of the Chaos armies, the mortal world's defeat would only be a matter of time.
So, what was the point of all my efforts over the past two decades? Ryan couldn't help but feel disheartened.
But the Sun King quickly regained his composure. He knew that all his efforts had borne fruit. The Empire had avoided being worn down by a series of invasions, the Dwarves had reclaimed Eight Peaks, Lileath had abandoned her plan to flee, and Bretonnia had built a powerful army that answered only to him.
All these efforts had incrementally increased their chances of surviving the End Times.
"Your plan is too unreliable, my Lady. I don't think resurrecting Nagash is a good idea," Ryan said after hearing everything. He firmly rejected the Lady of the Lake's plan. "Much of what you've said makes sense, and I admit you're right—mortals can't outlast Chaos in a war of attrition. But I can't place my trust in the undead, especially not Nagash. If the Undying King were truly reliable, he wouldn't have been defeated and met with tragedy so many times in history."
"But... if we don't do this, how can we fight the tide of Chaos?" The Lady of the Lake grew anxious as Ryan continued to oppose her. "Perhaps we can hold out longer, maybe even gain the upper hand for a time. But if we can't defeat Archaon, defeat is inevitable."
"Before we go further, my Lady, can you tell me what plans the other gods have?" Ryan closed his eyes and spoke calmly.
Lileath let out a bitter laugh and shared what she knew about the plans of the other gods.
The Nehekharan gods were essentially inactive, no different from being dead.
The human gods were too young. Most of them didn't even understand what was happening or what was about to happen. While many human gods were aware of the End Times, none had a concrete plan. Even Myrmidia, the Goddess of War, who was widely regarded as highly intelligent, could only think of finding an avatar as quickly as possible.
Of the three main Dwarf gods, one was trapped in the Realm of Metal, another in the Realm of Chaos, and only Valaya had recently awakened. But the Dwarf Mother Goddess's strategic and tactical abilities were limited. All she could do was repeatedly emphasize that the Dwarves must unite under High King Thorgrim. While her divine decrees were effective among the Dwarves, the layer of the High King complicated matters. For example, Belegar seemed to care little for the High King's orders, preferring to trust his brother Ryan instead.
What about the Elven gods?
Lileath briefly outlined the plans of the three main Elven gods for the End Times.
Asuryan, the Phoenix King: "I've written everything on the stone tablets. Figure it out yourselves. What? You don't understand? Then guess! You're good at guessing, aren't you? Guess harder!"
Khaine, the God of War and Murder: "Find a handsome, dashing, strong, emotional, and incredibly popular man (cough), go to the Blighted Isles, draw the Sword of Khaine, and kill everyone, including the Elves!" (Khaine had a strong self-destructive tendency.)
Kurnous, the God of the Hunt: "All Elves must gather in Athel Loren. If the enemy comes, we'll concentrate our forces and fight them to the death!" (Anything outside Athel Loren? Not my problem!)
Everyone listening broke out in a cold sweat.
So, after thousands of years of contemplation, this was all the Elven gods had come up with?
In the end, Lileath's plan was the only one that resembled a coherent strategy?
Ryan thought to himself that if the Emperor had a few thousand years to plan, would Chaos even stand a chance?
Well, that might not be entirely accurate. The Emperor had planned for thirty thousand years before revealing his true identity, and he still ended up failing.
Chaos is eternal, mortals are fragile. Chaos can let you win a thousand, ten thousand times. It will mostly laugh it off, maybe grumble a bit, but what does it matter? Mortals only need to lose once, and it's game over. Then the cycle of destruction, rebirth, prosperity, and decline repeats.
"Anyway, I don't think resurrecting Nagash is a good idea," Ryan finally rejected the proposal. "Whoever the Wind of Death chooses, I don't care. But no matter what, I won't place my trust in the Undying King, let alone the cost of resurrecting him."
"But..." the Lady of the Lake wanted to argue further.
"I know, Lileath, I know. When it comes to reinforcements, I'll handle it," Ryan shook his head firmly.
"My Lady, since Ryan says he'll handle it, you should trust him," Sulia chimed in, supporting Ryan. The knightly queen took the Lady's hand. "As always, Ryan has never let us down."
"Yes, my Lady, I also think the undead are unreliable," Morgiana openly opposed the Lady of the Lake on this matter.
"I only listen to my Master," Olica said bluntly. "As for this woman, who cares?"
The Lady of the Lake's face darkened.
"Four to one, my Lady," Ryan smiled. This was the first time he had so firmly opposed the Lady's decision.
"My champion, my husband, my love, it seems you're determined to oppose me?" the Lady of the Lake remained calm, sighing softly. "I don't want to threaten you, but..."
"I've said it, leave it to me. Nagash is unreliable," Ryan emphasized. "Whether you agree or not, my Lady, I will proceed."
"Ah..." the Lady of the Lake could only nod helplessly. She pretended to wipe away a tear, feigning sorrow. "My champion has taken charge. All these years of love and time together have been wasted!"
"That year, under the hazy moonlight, you said you were the Lady of the Lake. Perhaps it was all a mistake from the start!" Ryan immediately matched her tone, clutching his chest and pretending to be heartbroken, making Sulia and the others burst into laughter.
"Pfft~" The Lady of the Lake couldn't help but laugh at Ryan's over-the-top acting. She shook her head. "Fine, I've already abandoned my plan for the new world. I've staked everything on you. Don't let me down."
"Look forward to my performance!"
...I am the dividing line of wasted love...
In late December 2520 IC, the turkey banquet was held as scheduled at the Palace of Fontainebleau.
Ryan typically didn't participate in such events. Instead, he received the latest intelligence.
The High Elves' mission to rescue the Little Queen had failed.
And while Ryan was farther away, Emperor Karl Franz received the news faster, along with a letter from the High Elves.
"What? The High Elves are demanding that the Empire prepare a regular army of no less than twenty thousand soldiers, ready to join them in a second attempt to rescue the Little Queen?"
"How am I supposed to muster twenty thousand regular soldiers?"
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