Chapter 436: Trying to Manipulate Fate

As the demon warlock fell to the ground, the restless tide of Undead instantly fell silent.

The warrior who had been swinging a rusted blade toward the orc veteran froze mid-motion, abruptly lost its target, turned around, and wandered off.

The orc veteran survived.

"What happened?"

They looked around in confusion, watching the tide of Undead that had been pouring through the breach in the city wall suddenly lose their unified will. Their movements became scattered as they began aimlessly drifting among the ruins.

Then some orcs spotted the emerald-green figure hovering above the collapsed plaza.

It was a slime wearing a crown.

An unbelievable thought slowly surfaced in the depths of their hearts.

Could this slime have done it?

Chen Yu felt the situation here was even worse than he had imagined. The orc royal had clearly said the Undead disaster was caused by the orc Homecomers, yet the ones pulling the strings from behind the scenes were demon warlocks.

He had a nagging feeling this wasn't so simple.

Hovering in midair, he spread his Divine Sense like liquid mercury, sweeping meticulously over the entire ruined royal capital once more.

He found no other Totem Ice Pillars.

Clearly, before he arrived, those demon warlocks had already transferred most of the Totem Ice Pillars through the Fissure.

Twelve Totem Ice Pillars were the full number required to complete the Frost Giant's legendary trial.

Now he only had four in his hands, still far too short to unlock that ancient secret.

The good news was that these demons hadn't gathered all twelve Totem Ice Pillars either.

He took one last look at this snow-covered capital ravaged by war, then turned and slipped back into the Gel Teleportation Gate without a backward glance.

After his main body left, the gel clone rapidly contracted, reverting to its round, chubby form. It bounced up from the empty ground and landed on a fortress in the city.

This was a fortress located on a high ground west of the royal capital. Its walls were broken in many places, with gaps filled by rubble and collapsed wooden palisades, but orc soldiers still stood guard on the ramparts.

When they saw that green light descending from the sky, they instinctively tightened their grip on their weapons. The sounds of bowstrings being drawn taut rose and fell in the cold wind.

"Don't loose arrows!" the orc centurion growled in a low voice, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty.

They recognized that figure.

Any orc soldier who had participated in the war at the White Horse Royal Capital would never forget that day.

Back then, it was also a seemingly unremarkable slime like this one that had destroyed half of that human capital.

That was the most devastating defeat the orc legion had suffered since marching south, and the first time they deeply realized that some enemies could not be overcome by courage and muscle alone.

Sekashi and Semiaya descended nearby on their snow eagle, Penny's wings stirring up air currents that swept away the snow on the ground.

The orc soldiers inside the fortress dared not move recklessly, still staring fixedly at Chen Yu.

After a brief silence, a burly orc stepped out from the crowd—the same centurion who had spoken earlier.

Seeing the palaver, he took a deep breath, then stepped forward. He placed his left hand on his chest and bowed his head. "Your Majesty, honored Slime Emperor, I am Centurion Slime-Karsang, of the Frost Hoof Tribe."

"These are all my brothers. We are merely guarding this fortress, resisting the Undead invasion. We bear no malice toward you."

The orcs behind him shrank their necks, none daring to contradict.

They truly dared not show any malice.

After all, when faced with a being capable of blasting half a royal capital into a giant crater, a mere flick of its tiny hand could erase this broken fortress—and them along with it—from the map.

Chen Yu was satisfied with their tact. He asked, "How long have you been here?"

Slime's eyes dimmed, and his voice dropped. "From the day the capital fell... until today, more than half a month has passed."

"We've been surviving on dried rations stored in the fortress cellar and melted snow water. We tried to break out twice during this time, but both attempts failed."

He closed his eyes. "We lost many people holding this fortress."

Chen Yu wobbled his gel body. "I sympathize with your plight, but you're safe now. Those Undead have lost their control."

Eh.

Were they really safe?

Wasn't he still here?

The orcs only dared think that. On the surface, they meekly nodded. "Yes, yes, thanks to you."

"What do you know about those Homecomers?"

When Slime heard the word "Homecomers," uncontrollable anger surfaced on his face, and his voice grew heavier.

"They're a bunch of despicable bastards who sold their souls to the Abyss! They allied with the demons of the Abyss and dragged the entire palaver into the firepit. If it weren't for them, the capital would never have—"

"What is their goal?" Chen Yu asked.

Slime was silent for a moment, as if struggling to recall something, his brow deeply furrowed. After a long pause, he answered hesitantly, "The specifics... I'm not too clear."

"We were supposed to break out with the Commander, but we got trapped here by accident."

"But on a few nights after the disaster, we heard those Homecomers from afar, speaking with something in the ruins."

"They used ancient Orcish. We only vaguely caught them mentioning something about a 'Deity,' and it seemed to involve those long-vanished giants."

Involving giants?

This caught Chen Yu off guard.

He had originally thought Bone Mordvine had revived, or perhaps the Abyss demons were behind it. He never expected giants to be involved.

This was not good news.

At the very least, it meant that after the giants were defeated, the giant deity had not completely fallen.

Regardless, this information was terrible. His main body immediately began writing a letter to brief Oros on the situation.

He set aside his deductions for now and continued pressing. "What else do you know?"

Slime racked his brains, then suddenly looked up.

"Oh... I remember now. Their goal seems to be the legacy left by the giants. Besides the Totem Ice Pillars in the capital, it's said the giants also left some other legacy in the Shadow Mountains."

"That place is the burial ground of the ancient giant legion. Those Homecomers have been active there. You might find them in the Shadow Mountains."

This was indeed good news.

At least he had a clue for further investigation.

Chen Yu filed this information away, then looked up at the orc soldiers huddled before him in the cold wind.

"What are your plans from here?"

Slime was startled. He turned his gaze to the equally bewildered companions around him.

The Orc Palaver had been destroyed, the capital had fallen, the Commander had fled south, and the tribe was no more.

If there was any lingering obsession in his heart, it was probably to find the Commander and continue following him.

But he didn't voice that thought.

Because before him stood the Emperor of the Empire.

He dared not say "I want to go follow another leader" in front of the Empire's Emperor.

Chen Yu seemed to see through his hesitation but didn't press further. He simply said, "I'll send you to a safe place. There's food, tents, and medicine there. Later, someone will arrange for you to meet with the orc legion moving south."

Slime jerked his head up, his eyes full of surprise and disbelief.

His Adam's apple bobbed, but in the end, he said nothing extra, only bowing his head deeply.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The orc soldiers behind him also half-knelt and bowed, as if thanking a deity who had granted them clemency.

As the emerald-green teleportation gate opened again, the remaining orc soldiers walked through it and left the place.

Other orcs who had been resisting the Undead elsewhere were also gathered in the plaza by Sekashi and Semiaya, one by one passing through the Gel Teleportation Gate and leaving the ruined capital.

The capital fell completely silent. Semiaya stepped forward then, her brows slightly furrowed with concern.

"Your Majesty, if so many orcs are all gathered within the White Horse Kingdom's borders, what if some among them harbor ill intentions and stir up rebellion..."

Chen Yu wobbled his body, hopped onto Sekashi's shoulder, and found a more comfortable spot to settle. "The Border Corps will keep an eye on them."

"But you're right. Leaving so many orcs in the White Horse Kingdom is indeed risky. Not all orcs are willing to join the Empire. There will always be some who yearn for the glory of the palaver, dreaming of restoring the Orc Palaver."

"When the conditions are right, I'll have the legion take these orcs back to the Icefield, in the name of Imperial Orcs, to deal with the Undead still roaming the ice plains."

"As for those unwilling to join the Empire, just send them out of the Empire's borders. All we want is the Icefield, not a bunch of old orc fossils."

"After we return, Little Flower will issue an expedition order, commanding the legion to march north and station at Northern City. You will lead the legion."

"When those gathered orcs are organized, you'll set out in about two months. Your task is to clear the Icefield of Undead while keeping those orcs in line. Anyone attempting to defect or incite trouble—deal with them on the spot."

Semiaya pressed her right hand to her chest and bowed her head slightly. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Sekashi, standing to the side, could finally no longer hold back. Her voice carried a hint of anticipation. "What about me?"

Chen Yu wobbled his gel body. "You come back with me first."

"Oh."

Though she was curious about what they were going back to do, she held back the urge to ask.

Chen Yu took them back to Northern City.

Semiaya stayed in Northern City to await the legion's northward march. After waving goodbye to her, Sekashi returned to the Dark Realm with Chen Yu.

The sky of the Dark Realm was still shrouded in gray clouds, but compared to the desolate scene on the Icefield, it was far more prosperous here.

The faith of the Dark Night was spreading fervently in the Dark Realm. Occasionally on the streets, believers who had just finished preaching could be seen walking in pairs, new holy emblems hanging from their chests, speaking in hushed tones about the content of their sermons.

Casimir and Lya had been so busy lately cooperating with Leone in spreading the faith that they had hardly stayed in any fixed location for more than half a day.

Chen Yu finally found Lya in a small town church in the Dark Realm.

She had just finished an afternoon prayer. When she heard His Majesty had arrived, she hurriedly hugged her sacred tome—bigger than her head—and made for the back door of the church, nearly getting sent flying by a draft animal loaded with goods.

"Bishop Lya, this guy's in a bad mood today. Not cooperating."

The draft animal's owner quickly pulled on the reins, and the big beast let out a dissatisfied growl.

Lya hugged the sacred tome and hopped back, narrowly avoiding the swishing tail of the draft animal. She patted her chest and let out a long breath.

"It's fine, it's fine."

She was used to this kind of unlucky daily routine. Saying goodbye to the merchant, she looked up and spotted Chen Yu crouching on the low wall of the church, along with the slightly nervous-looking lizardfolk girl standing behind him.

"Your Majesty!" Lya's eyes lit up. She clutched the heavy sacred tome and trotted over. Halfway there, as if remembering something, she slowed her pace and gave Chen Yu a dignified bow.

Then, unable to maintain the act, she reverted to her lively tone. "What brings you here?"

Turning to see Sekashi, she politely added, "And this young lizardfolk lady, hello."

Sekashi hurriedly bowed in return, feeling a bit nervous inside.

She had long heard of Bishop Lya's deeds—the Undying shepherd who, during the Shadow Disaster in Darkness City, had single-handedly held out until reinforcements arrived.

And she looked much younger than herself, yet she was already a bishop, certainly far more devout and steadfast in her faith.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but feel a pang of shame.

Chen Yu, as if sensing something, gave her a puzzled look. How did this girl manage to emit a white glow of faith just by chatting?

Without much small talk, Chen Yu found a secluded backyard. After confirming there was no one else around, he raised his gel hand and patted Sekashi on the head.

"Look at her head. What do you see?"

He was asking about Sekashi's future trial.

Since fate wasn't all that mysterious, he should be able to try to influence it, even manipulate it to some degree.

If he wanted Sekashi to attempt the Frost Giant's legendary trial, would her fate shift accordingly?

Then, using Lya's ability to see the flow of misfortune, he could glimpse the outline of the trial, even discern the hidden calamities within. That would be like a form of alternative prophecy.

Perhaps he could glean more information about the Homecomers from those calamities.

Sekashi looked up in confusion, reaching up to touch her head. There was nothing on her scales. "Envoy, is there something on my head?"

Lya earnestly stood on tiptoe, her gaze fixed on the space above Sekashi's head.

She maintained her upward-looking posture. After a moment, her small face gradually grew serious. "I see... a massive figure hidden in the shadows."

"Twelve pillars stand around it. The figure has its head lowered, as if holding something in its hands..."

She strained to focus her gaze, as if trying to discern a specific outline from a blurry fog. "It's holding... a sacred relic of death. It's praying."

Chen Yu hadn't expected his attempt to actually succeed.

Sekashi's fate had truly shifted toward the giants.

Or rather, he hadn't changed Sekashi's fate at all—this was originally the trial she was meant to undergo.

His little brain churned for a moment.

The massive figure hidden in shadows was easy to understand; it likely referred to a giant. The shadows probably pointed to the Shadow Mountains, with the giant lurking in some kind of shadowy environment.

The twelve pillars were the twelve Totem Ice Pillars. As for the sacred relic of death, he had no idea what that was.

But at least the prophecy had already pieced together a clear enough outline.

If Sekashi were to walk this path, the Shadow Mountains would be her unavoidable first stop.

He didn't make the decision for her, simply relaying Lya's prophecy to Sekashi verbatim.

"The trial comes with risks. Don't force it. You don't have to answer right away. You can perfectly well continue living a peaceful life in the Empire."

Sekashi lowered her head in silence for a moment. When she lifted it again, there was no hesitation left in her vertical pupils. "Envoy, I want to go."

After saying this, she seemed to feel a bit embarrassed herself, her voice dropping a few notches.

"I... also want to contribute to the Empire."

Chen Yu looked at her—clearly nervous, yet still gritting her teeth to make this decision—and said nothing more.

He knew Sekashi would choose this.

After spending so much time together, he had long seen through her. This girl might seem soft and even a little dumb on the surface, but deep down, she had an unyielding spirit. She wouldn't be content to just coast through life.

That was fine.

Arthur was active around the Shadow Mountains anyway. He could ask him to keep an eye on this fool—shouldn't be a problem.

He nodded and straightforwardly approved her decision.

After arranging Sekashi's subsequent travel itinerary to the Shadow Mountains, Chen Yu returned to the Slime City Palace.

Warm stoves burned in the hall, and flames danced in the fireplace, casting a warm orange-red glow over the tapestries on the walls.

He hopped onto the soft cushion specially prepared for him on the windowsill, merged with his main body, and curled up into a ball.

Calculating the time, in the Xu Xuan Heaven, the matter of the South Sea calamity should have become known to all of the Righteous Path by now.

It was time for him to emerge from seclusion and face those Golden Core old monsters. At the very least, he had to convince them to jointly confront the great heavenly calamity.

And while he was at it, he could test whether "Gel Fusion" could take effect.