Less than a year after the Laterano Summit of Nations ended, the Kazdel Conference was launched with great momentum. Although Felix had shown no intention in the video of holding such a conference, his advisors and senior officials believed that a pre-war summit was necessary.
Moreover, as the initiator of the campaign and the strongest individual on all of Terra, Felix, who stood at the head of the strongest nation on Terra, at least on paper, and perhaps in truth as well, naturally deserved the position of leader.
This strategy was drawn up overnight by the General Staff after they saw the Liberation King's declaration of war. After receiving Felix's approval, invitations were sent out to every nation and major power like a flowing tide.
Kazdel had once again entered a state of wartime alert.
But this time, the war was not against any nation or power of Terra.
It was against the demons.
To be honest, the people of Kazdel had lived in peace and comfort for several years now. Yet the warlike blood hidden deep within the Sarkaz stirred the moment they saw the Liberation King's declaration. New factories rose one after another, quickly filling with Sarkaz craftsmen, and the number of soldiers under Theresis reached a new high. Everyone, especially the Sarkaz themselves, believed that Kazdel bore an unavoidable responsibility in this great war.
'We are the strongest, so naturally we should shoulder that responsibility. It is our duty.'
The Sarkaz had long been called demon-blooded bastards. They were proud, and as the oldest race upon Terra, they naturally believed they should bear such burdens. To the Sarkaz, that burden itself was a source of pride.
Soon, the war machine called Kazdel began to move.
Weapons and equipment were manufactured without pause and delivered to every Sarkaz warrior. During this time, two more battleships were completed, carrying three thousand Sarkaz warriors and members of other races to the Sami front, where they joined the Devastator.
Before the Kazdel War Conference officially began, Felix met several people he had not seen in quite some time: the players from Emperor's Children.
At this moment, there was no joy of PvP in their eyes, only the excitement of players who had been drawn into an epic main storyline.
That was only natural.
If Felix had been in their position, he would have felt the same. He too would have been stirred by the demon storyline, because this... this was real war.
It was a pity that in his previous life, there had been no so-called Demon War at the end of version 3.0.
And the result of that simulation had already been predetermined.
Terra lost.
But this time, he would win.
"Your Highness, is the content of the video real? I do not mean this as a challenge. We simply want to know how terrifying monsters like demons truly are."
Felix interlocked his fingers. Although he had changed greatly, he still carried the authority of a ruler before his subordinates. He knew that, in his position, it was difficult to have true friends. Fortunately, he still had the girls around him with whom he could speak freely. But before outsiders, he was a king, an unquestioned monarch.
When facing players, perhaps because he himself had once been one in his previous life, he held a certain degree of authority, though not overwhelmingly so. He only needed to maintain the role he was meant to play. No matter how much he tried to win over these top-tier players, he understood that many of them cared first and foremost about benefit. To them, profit came first, and the storyline came second.
That was true for many high-end players.
But not for all players.
For the average player, the main story was probably what mattered most, while everything else came after.
Felix understood that he needed to adopt different attitudes when facing different kinds of players, and naturally, his tone had to change as well when speaking to these people.
"The existence of demons also known as Collapsals is one of Terra's hidden secrets. They have dwelled in the north of the continent for many years. Whether it is Ursus, Yan, or Sami, all of them have experience fighting against them. Such wars have never truly ceased, and in some places, they have lasted for hundreds of years," Felix explained patiently. "It is not entirely accurate to describe demons as either matter or living creatures. We can wait for Saria's report for the finer details, but to put it simply, the existence of demons is the distortion of laws."
"Your Highness, what does it mean for the laws to be distorted?" Yanfei tilted her head and deliberately played the role of the straight man.
"It means they possess a set of rules that belongs only to them. They seize the corpses of the warriors they kill and turn them into half-dead demon warriors. More terrifying still, demons can alter the laws of force itself. You must have seen those black hole-like objects, yes? In truth, such things can absorb the existence of matter. Any land they pass over can never again be cultivated. The bodies of the warriors they ravage do not rot away, but instead become nothing more than their puppets. That is what demons are."
Someone clicked their tongue in astonishment.
Felix smiled and looked at them all. "This will be the harshest trial Terra, and all of us, have ever faced. As the Liberation King, and as a member of Terra, I bear a responsibility from which I cannot escape."
"If we win this battle, we will be completely freed from the threat above us and continue living upon this land of Terra. If we lose, then all of Terra may cease to exist."
[You have triggered the S-rank quest [For Terra]. Accept / Abandon?]
The quest window appeared before every player present the moment those words were spoken.
Just hearing the name made people gasp. This time, the main quest carried an astonishing weight, filled with a sense of history and epic grandeur.
[Accept.]
[Mission Details: To save the lives of Terra, to save the land of Terra, you choose to fight alongside Felix, the Liberation King. This battle is fought for nothing else but Terra itself.]
[Mission Requirements: Defeat the demons (0/?)]
Defeat the Observer (0/1)
Reward: 1,000,000 EXP
100,000 LMD
[Special Reward: New Terra]
So much EXP and LMD at once?
Every player's eyes widened. This really was worthy of being the final quest of version 3.0. The rewards were on an entirely different level. With 100,000 LMD, one could even buy a fine two-bedroom apartment with a good view in Kazdel.
"I understand, Your Highness. Please allow us, as members of the Emperor's Children Legion, to continue fighting for you upon Terra."
"We will protect Terra," said the man who had stepped forward and struck his chest in salute.
After confirming everyone's response, Felix nodded inwardly. To him, money was merely...
just a number.
Besides, he had already reached an agreement with Yan. If they lost this battle, then nothing would remain. Under such circumstances, there was naturally no reason to be stingy.
Later that same day, while browsing the forums, Felix saw the declaration of war post made by the strategy team.
"Hello everyone, I am Yang Yan XF from the strategy team. At 10:00 a.m. Terra time today, Felix, the Liberation King of Kazdel, issued a declaration of war."
"Kazdel has once again entered a state of war. This time, the enemy is not any nation or power, but the demons that have plagued and threatened the land of Terra for thousands of years. They have dwelled in the north of Terra for ages, corrupting everything they touch, turning the corpses of fallen warriors into walking dead, and polluting the clean land beneath our feet into barren ground that can no longer be cultivated. In the words of the Liberation King, the demons have evolved. Their attacks are fiercer, their fangs sharper, and what they seek to seize is this land of Terra itself."
"The strategy team believes this is very likely the final major quest at the end of version 3.0, and the success or failure of this quest will affect the future direction of our gameplay. In every previous event and activity, we have already learned one thing: on Terra, there is no turning back. If an NPC dies, then they are truly dead. This quest is no exception. If we allow the demons to corrupt our land, then what will Terra even look like in version 4.0?"
"I believe this is a mission for all players, and before the apocalypse arrives, we players will naturally become the main fighting force."
"I am Yang Yan XF, and on behalf of the strategy team, I will be waiting for all of you in Kazdel."
The first comment below the post was simply: "????"
The second was: "What the hell is a demon?"
The third read: "Did none of you watch the Dawn King's declaration of war? I remember it was broadcast all across Terra!"
Felix moved his hand and switched to the hot comments.
The top comment came from Dreamweaver. He described in detail his conversation with Felix and briefly explained the "setting" of the demons. He also mentioned that professional players would be taking the lead, and that Kazdel possessed a vast range of weapons, from ordinary infantry equipment to vehicles, battleships, and even skyships. The supply of weapons was practically endless, and the entire nation had effectively become a nation of soldiers.
The players' enthusiasm was ignited like never before. Of their own accord, they set down what they were doing and began heading toward Kazdel. Across all of Terra, players did the same. They left behind their homes and cities, ready to contribute their own strength to Terra in this war.
The storm had already arrived.
"Your Highness, the first diplomatic delegation from Yan has arrived, and the Emperor himself has come."
"I understand. I'll go at once." Felix gave Ines a slight nod, though he remained seated. "How many countries have responded to the call to arms?"
"Higashi, Durin, Bolívar, Columbia, Kazimierz, Laterano, Leithanien, Rim Billiton, Minos, Sargon, Sami, Victoria, New Tara, the Kingdom of Tara, Ursus, Siesta, Kjerag, and Iberia," Ines replied. She felt a trace of sympathy for her lover, yet she understood that this was his responsibility. She also knew that Terra was running out of time.
"No Aegir?"
"No."
"Hehehe... forget it. I never counted them as part of our effective fighting force to begin with." Felix let out a cold laugh. "Among all the invited nations, only a few are truly powerful: Columbia, Victoria, Laterano, Ursus, and Yan. The rest either lack the technology, or their military strength is too weak."
Ines stepped forward and, beneath Felix's gaze, began to massage his shoulders.
"So the others are all here to ask for equipment and technology?"
"What use would there be in refusing them?" Felix said calmly. "Kazdel has long since become the core of Terra, and after this battle, all the races of Terra will face the universe together as the people of a single planet."
"And my king, you will lead Terra forward."
"If we cannot win the battle before us, then there will be no future to lead."
Felix enjoyed Ines's warmth for a moment, then stood up. "When Loughshinny enters the city, bring her to see me."
"What, tired of the old one already? Oh, no, wait, I'm the new one, aren't I?" Ines said, a little jealously. "Miss Loughshinny must be serving Your Highness very well, mustn't she?"
Felix pulled Ines into his arms, feeling the heat rising in her cheeks, and smiled. "Once this war is over... it will be time to hold the wedding."
"You want to marry me?" Ines's heart skipped a beat.
"There are others as well. What, is that a problem?" Felix glanced at her.
Ines pursed her lips and gave a soft snort. "Fine. Then I'll look forward to it."
After saying that, she made as if to rise, but Felix's hand closed around her waist like an iron band.
"Your Highness..."
"You're really leaving just like that?"
Ines blushed deeply.
Two hours later, Ines left the office with a radiant smile, though her legs still trembled slightly. She had enjoyed a rare moment alone with His Highness, but his stamina truly was monstrous...
At the invitation of the Kazdel War Conference, the Yan delegation was the first to arrive in Kazdel.
Then came New Tara, Victoria, and the Kingdom of Tara. Those three were still at war with one another, so it was hard to believe they had not discussed something beforehand.
Vina and Loughshinny were old acquaintances, and they exchanged a brief nod.
Eblana looked at her younger sister, amusement playing at the corners of her lips, while her icy fingers idly brushed against her own mouth.
Her younger sister had gained the king's favor, while she herself had fallen behind.
That was unacceptable.
Next came Bolívar. The other delegations did not treat the true Bolívarians very kindly. In their eyes, these people were little more than profiteers who thrived under the banner of war.
Grand Knight Russell of Kazimierz and the twin empresses of Leithanien arrived at almost the same time, and some friction broke out as they entered the city.
Lady Sicily of Siracusa, Saint Carmen of Iberia, Enciodes of Kjerag, and the Emperor of Ursus all came to Kazdel as well.
The rest were leaders of forces Felix had either never heard of, or had only minimal contact with.
In the blink of an eye, Kazdel had gathered the powers of all Terra for a conference about the future, and about the war to come.