CHAPTER 56: CHAPTER56-DOOMSDAY WARRIOR

Upon hearing the Emperor’s command, the executioners at the scene were momentarily stunned.

Had the Emperor changed his mind?

Was it possible that he couldn’t bear the pressure and had decided to adopt a more lenient approach?

At that moment, the criminals who were still alive looked at each other with hopeful expressions.

Then, Gaia spoke again.

"All remaining criminals are to be branded with a slave mark and immediately sent to the mana stone mines to work."

Upon hearing this, the criminals who had almost been executed were filled with relief.

They had gotten lucky and survived this time.

Although entering the mana stone mines meant they would never see the light of day again, it was better to live in misery than to be dead. As long as they were alive, there was still a chance.

The reason Aurek had changed his mind was primarily due to the persuasion of William and Heimerdinger.

The Crossbridge Empire was in a dire state, with the Ministry of Finance having no reserves at all.

In order to better implement future policies, Aurek decided to temporarily spare them.

Mining was a dangerous job, but it could bring in significant profits.

So sending these criminals to work in the mines was actually a good choice.

As for whether they would manage to escape, once they were branded with a slave mark, they would be slaves for life unless a Master Rank individual helped them.

Even so, the mass execution still claimed the lives of at least 100,000 people.

The deaths of so many were a powerful warning to the factions in the empire.

The Crossbridge Empire was no longer the same, and those in the imperial city should be cautious from now on.

At that moment, the atmosphere in the imperial city had changed dramatically.

With this tension in the air, the internal dynamics of the Crossbridge Empire were shifting quietly.

The hidden factions were doing everything they could to investigate the current situation.

What no one noticed, however, was that in a blacksmith shop in the outer city, a burly man was staring intently at the direction of the cathedral.

...

Inside the cathedral,

A large group of believers had gathered together.

Archbishop Austin was still in deep meditation, but his spiritual power had already extended far beyond the space around him, reaching the Valoria Palace.

Everything that happened last night had not escaped his notice.

So many powerful individuals had perished in Valoria Palace, and it was enough to make the Ordon Theocracy reconsider their attitude toward Emperor Aurek.

Originally, Archbishop Austin had never given much thought to Aurek.

He hadn’t even attended Aurek’s coronation ceremony.

Yet, unexpectedly, this emperor, whom he had never met before, had proven to be ruthless and cold-blooded!

As Archbishop Austin, with his god-like perspective, he had always viewed the Crossbridge Empire from above.

He had believed that everything was under control, but reality had proven that Aurek’s actions had far surpassed his expectations.

Was this really the work of the Veynar family?

No, there must be someone behind Aurek, someone whose presence was carefully concealed. Even now, there was no trace of them to be found.

But even so, could they withstand the pressure from the Ordon Theocracy?

For Archbishop Austin, whether Jacoff or Troy succeeded in the rebellion or whether Aurek suppressed it, it didn’t matter.

With his status, he was always in a position to remain neutral, and whoever became emperor would naturally seek his favor.

However, the mysterious power in Aurek’s hands had caught Austin’s attention.

Even the powerful Ordon Theocracy had not obtained any leads regarding this mysterious power.

Was there another large faction trying to intervene in the Crossbridge Empire?

But even so, what could they do? The Crossbridge Empire was now an empty shell.

No matter how much Aurek tried to win others over, he could not escape his fate.

What empire? It was nothing more than a plaything for the great powers.

Your family too, there were ancestors who tried to rebel, but unfortunately, as soon as they entertained such thoughts, they were completely crushed by the church.

With that thought, Austin gazed far in the direction of Valoria Palace.

"Aurek, though you share the same name as your forefather, do you really think you can save this empire?"

"Even your ancestor couldn’t accomplish that, could he?"

...

Inside the Crossbridge Empire, at Aurek’s residence.

Aurek had Angie guard the door, ensuring no one else could enter.

Then, he summoned all of the Elemental Assassins and Gold Assassin.

After the battle, these Elemental Assassins had all grown stronger to some degree.

Most notably, Gold Assassin had directly broken through and reached Master Rank Lv1.

Although it was just the beginning stage of Master Rank, it was still an impressive achievement.

In the entire Crossbridge Empire, only Archbishop Austin was known to be at Master Rank.

Other than him, there were now 30 Expert Rank Elemental Assassins.

This made Aurek’s forces much stronger than before.

Looking at the strength of his subordinates, Aurek’s previously gloomy mood lightened significantly.

Elemental Assassins at Expert Rank had a certain chance of killing Hero Rank individuals.

Though the chances were low, if all 30 Expert Rank Elemental Assassins attacked at once, killing a Hero Rank was not an impossible task.

However, the further one advanced in rank, the more difficult it became to improve.

But even so, with Gold Assassin, a Master Rank warrior, Aurek could now breathe easier.

There was no substitute for relying on oneself. Only with powerful forces at his disposal could Aurek truly feel secure.

However, the Gold Assassin still needed some time to adjust the energy within his body after his promotion.

Thus, Aurek knew that his Master Rank power would not be fully unleashed just yet.

After reviewing these matters, Aurek’s gaze shifted to the latest notification.

[Kill a large number of strong individuals, including Hero Rank fighters, gain 50,000 Emperor Points, and receive a Shop Refresh Card X1]

Upon seeing this reward, Aurek’s mood soared with excitement!

Earning 50,000 Emperor Points in one go was a huge gain!

The most crucial part was that the system had rewarded him with a Shop Refresh Card!

At the moment, the Emperor Point Shop contained a Random Unit Summon Card.

This card could summon a completely new type of unit, and its price was 10,000 points.

Aurek had once thought that 10,000 points was a lot, but now, without hesitation, he decided to buy it!

As soon as he confirmed the purchase, a semi-transparent card appeared in front of him.

The card then transformed into starlight, gradually converging into a humanoid figure!

"Greetings, my lord!"