Chapter 82: Suppression

A vast plain stretched out, and a great camp lay silent, filled with the tents of warriors. If one looked closely, subtle changes were unfolding in that place. The fierce winds that had risen suddenly ceased, and the restless natural elements around gradually stilled, as if confronted by their supreme deity, no longer daring to stir. They simply followed an inexplicable aura, flowing softly in the air.

Drawn by a mysterious force, everyone present sensed it clearly—a star was rising, its radiance spreading and unleashing a divine power so immense it suppressed heaven and earth, an eternal, unyielding majesty. The moment this divine aura appeared, the power of the domains gathered by thousands vanished instantly. All felt an overwhelming terror, a familiar authority pressing upon their hearts, subduing their strength.

“There! Two suns in the sky!” Many cried out in shock, gazing at the heavens where the rising star shone so brilliantly it seemed for a moment as if two suns appeared. Light enveloped the land.

In the midst of this glow, a stunning scene unfolded. Bathed in divine light, Ardis strode across the earth, golden eyes exuding boundless authority, like a god descending from the heavens. As he walked, the natural elements around him surged in frenzy, wisps of natural brilliance whirled at his side, and immense, terrifying divine power was unleashed, blending with the world.

Faintly, the shadow of an ancient tree manifested behind him, its branches swaying gently, as though containing the mysteries of creation and destruction.

Thud.

All around, the sound of armor and weapons falling to the ground echoed. Unbeknownst to anyone, every person had dropped to their knees, unable to look directly at Ardis, whose radiance and the ancient tree’s shadow filled them with awe.

“O great and supreme god of nature! Is it your incarnation that has come to earth?” Someone murmured in excitement, and soon waves of prayer spread from the lips of countless believers, rippling through the entire camp.

Thus, amidst the rising chorus of prayers and praises, Ardis entered the camp, like a supreme emperor, and wherever he passed, all knelt in submission. With this scene, an immense power of faith soared, drawn ceaselessly along invisible threads of belief.

Witnessing this, Ardis felt neither sorrow nor joy. He simply raised his head and gazed forward.

There, fortune was ascending, slowly gathering into a vast pale gold aura. The rebelliousness it once carried had vanished, suppressed by the overwhelming brilliance of faith.

A few steps more, and only one person remained ahead.

This man was tall and powerful, his face fierce, yet now filled with reverence. He stared at Ardis, the light bathing him, his eyes wild with fanaticism.

“Borg, chieftain of the Talin tribe, greets Your Majesty Ardis!” he shouted, his heart devoid of reluctance or hesitation, only a fervor so intense his body trembled with excitement.

Seeing him, Ardis glanced lightly above his head.

Above him, a golden life essence suddenly appeared, gradually transforming to azure under the influence of faith’s light. It stood upright, surrounded by a faint aura of aggression, radiating unyielding strength.

Yet, seeing the fanaticism in his eyes, Ardis understood that even if he asked Borg to die for him, the man would do so without hesitation.

Meanwhile, outside the camp, several figures arrived late. They wore anxious expressions, their bodies aglow, moving swiftly. But upon reaching the encampment’s edge, they halted, sensing an immense, pure, and vast will.

“Such a mighty and pure divine domain—is the Pontiff himself here?” a young man beside them exclaimed in astonishment.

“No, impossible!” he quickly corrected himself. “Even if the Pontiff came in person, achieving such a spectacle would be impossible, unless he brought a sacred relic and summoned our god’s incarnation!”

Within their perception, the natural elements drifting through the land were now utterly silent. Above, an immense and pure divine domain spread, its boundless majesty suppressing all within its reach.

Such power could not be accomplished by mortal means; only a deity’s strength could achieve it.

Inside, several figures gradually emerged from within. The leader was handsome, his posture impressive, golden eyes carrying boundless dignity and a refreshing aura that cleansed the atmosphere.

For a moment, all was silent, save for the faint, devout prayers drifting through the air.

···

After that day, in the north, tribes long centered around this one knelt in submission. From this point, Ardis marched northward.

In the south, within the Kingdom of Ardisuk where the situation had begun to settle, new turmoil stirred.

“Charge!”

“Kill the traitors!”

Within a tribe, warriors clad in vine armor charged wildly through mountains and fields toward their enemies. On the opposing side, their foes also wore vine armor, their bodies faintly glowing with divine power, clearly followers of the god of nature.

“Karter! What are you doing?” a man in a beast skin coat, feathers adorning his head, shouted in disbelief.

Opposite him, Karter’s face was cold and stern. “I’ve already said—His Majesty Ardis has ordered your submission!”

“If you refuse, you must prepare for the consequences of being suppressed!”

“Just for this?” the other man cried, incredulous. “Because we refused his command, you’ll attack your own kin, fellow followers of our god?”

“There’s still time to surrender.”

Hearing this, the man opposite suddenly sneered. “Surrender? Why should we surrender?”

“Karter, you brought only a thousand men—how dare you demand our surrender?”

But then, cries erupted from afar. Amidst the chaos, a battered warrior ran up, terror etched across his face.

Seeing him, a sense of foreboding struck the chieftain’s heart.

“Chieftain, disaster! None of our divine arts work anymore!”

“What!” Shocked, he turned to the battlefield.

There, the two armies had once been evenly matched. Now, the division was clear. One side called upon the god of nature, unleashing countless divine arts, their bodies glowing. The other side, though shouting the same name, saw nothing happen. Even the divine power once flowing within them had utterly vanished.

Their morale plummeted. Without divine arts or blessings, they were mere mortals. Though their bodies, washed long by divine power, were stronger than ordinary folk, they could not rival warriors supported by godly arts.

Worse still, their faith collapsed.

All were followers of Ardis, many deeply devout. The sudden loss of divine arts shattered their conviction, leaving them unwilling to resist.

Thus, as the priests on the opposing side rallied them, countless surrendered, abandoning their tribe.

Witnessing this, the chieftain’s heart grew cold. His sword slipped from his hand unnoticed.

“I surrender.”

He gazed at the scene, pain and regret in his eyes, finally reduced to a soft sigh echoing through the land.

With such a lopsided situation, the battle ended swiftly. Karter reorganized the tribe, assigning families to build villages in designated regions, following Ardis’s earlier instructions to strengthen the entire Kingdom of Ardisuk.

As these actions continued, tribe after tribe was subdued.

Among them were some whose faith in the god of nature was too recent to have deeply affected the whole tribe, and so they resisted stubbornly.

But these people, before Karter and the priests of the deity, were powerless.

After all, as priests of the god of nature, they possessed divine arts and power, having stepped onto the path of transcendence. Facing primitive tribes lagging in civilization was like sweeping away dried leaves—direct and overwhelming.