Chapter 53: Are You Ready to Die Standing? |
In the wilderness of jagged strange rocks, towering boulders like sharp claws and blades stretched towards the sky.
Star had fled and trekked all the way here, with only a few hundred people remaining.
And on the outskirts of this rocky desert that resembled a jungle…
King Eli was leading thousands of soldiers who had pledged allegiance to him to surround her here, searching everywhere for her traces.
As the old King had said, he would not give Star any chance.
Star had nowhere further to run.
Leaving the coastal cities, leaving the fisheries, leaving the water and the ocean…
This world had no other place to accommodate the survival of the Trilobite Men.
This world didn’t originally belong to the Trilobite Men. It was the home guided by God and the food bestowed by Him that allowed them to dwell in this savage world.
“It only became wondrous due to the might of Yinsai, only possessing vitality because of God’s blessings.”
Star sighed heavily. “And yet, we fail to cherish God’s grace.”
Her expression was unreadable, but her dejection could be felt from her words and sighs.
Behind her, people continuously came to report news.
“The Sky Temple has closed its doors to us.”
“The Samo family killed the messenger we sent out. They even want to find our location. Fortunately, we weren’t exposed.”
“The Ruhe beast and King Eli’s figure have appeared in the south.”
Unfortunately, only bad news arrived.
Star had even compromised with the three major royal bloodline families, willing to give up the throne and hand over the scepter to them, willing to lead her followers to open up a new city. Still, no one was willing to accept her.
One piece of bad news after another made everyone apprehensive and greatly dampened their morale.
But Star, as the Queen, knowing there was no way out and no help, instead became determined.
She laughed, the laughter attracting everyone’s attention.
“Does everyone know?”
“I know this place. I’ve been here before.”
“At that time, my father was killed by King Eli. I led the Xilong family here. God’s messenger Polo had not yet returned to the realm of the gods.”
Star’s voice paused for a moment, as if recalling something.
She had once again lost everything, but this time, that person wasn’t by her side.
Hearing the Queen talk about her story, many people present stood up, listening intently to the Queen’s words.
Everyone was captivated, and the original panic and fear gradually dissipated quite a bit.
“I was very lost then. I didn’t know how to choose. It was God’s messenger Polo who told me I should overthrow the brutal King Eli.”
“I know everyone is still very lost now. Everyone is also very afraid.”
“No one is coming to help us, so we’ll rely on ourselves.”
“If we lose…”
“I will die together with you all.”
A gentle smile appeared on Star’s face: “I’m sorry!”
“Because of my immaturity, it led to this failure.”
“And thank you all for still following by my side.”
One by one, people stood up. They surrounded Star, crowding around her side.
Kneeling on the ground, they shouted “Queen Star” loudly.
“Queen Star, this is not your fault.”
“It’s the tyrant who betrayed King Yesael, who betrayed God.”
“He released the monsters from the abyss. He will surely suffer divine punishment.”
Someone hesitated for a moment, then boldly asked,
“Queen, do you regret it?”
“For us low-born people…”
“You were born so noble, the heir of the royal bloodline Xilong family, the priest serving the gods.”
“For us, is it worth it?”
Star took off the crown on her head, holding it in her arms.
“I’m not someone who is very calculating about gains and losses. I also don’t understand worth and not worth.”
“At least, I don’t regret it.”
“Because a king’s nobility doesn’t come from this crown. The people of Yinsai following me isn’t because of this scepter.”
“It’s because we are persisting in the right thing. Even if we fail, we still fail on the right path. In the future, there will still be people walking our path.”
Star’s voice grew stronger. “It is precisely because I stand for what is right that you all respect me as your Queen and are willing to follow me.”
The crowd’s spirits were lifted. They followed Star and started retreating again.
The Sky Temple wasn’t the way out, so they would all retreat to a farther place and start anew there.
————–
The wind whipped up dust, and the massive Ruhe beast carried Star’s followers, moving through the sand.
In the distant sandstorm, batch after batch of shadows appeared. They emerged from the obscuring dust, entering Star’s line of sight.
“Wuwu!”
Another Ruhe beast let out a desolate, chilling sound.
It was King Eli and his army.
In this barren world, Star and her followers were surrounded by King Eli leading his army.
After hiding and evading, in the end, they were still found by King Eli.
One could rise from failure, but it was very difficult to break through failure again because the enemy making a comeback would be even stronger and more prepared.
King Eli’s resonant voice came: “Star of the Xilong family, I’ve finally found you.”
The former king haughtily raised his head, his sharp gaze piercing through the sandstorm and falling on Star.
“I will not accept your surrender.”
“Because I cannot accept the weakness of royalty, let alone see the cowardice of a king.”
“Even if it’s just a false king.”
He stared at her intently. “Queen Star, are you prepared to die on your feet?”
Star had long expected this.
She watched King Eli continuously approach. When she could clearly see his figure, she said,
“I also will not beg a tyrant for mercy, let alone plead with the enemy who killed my father.”
“I only hope that after I die, you can have the magnanimity of a king.”
“Let my followers go.”
King Eli was clearly not someone who would compromise.
He was the King, the lofty King.
He resolutely refused: “Those who do not obey me have only the path of death.”
Star: “King Eli, you are still so brutal.”
King Eli didn’t care at all about others calling him brutal. Or rather, he believed a king should be like this.
“If everyone could loyally follow the King, I would also be willing to bestow kindness upon them.”
His voice turned cold. “But alas, this world is full of rebels and ambitious fools who refuse to submit to royal authority.”
This was a war with no retreat. The two sides were destined to have only one survive.
Queen Star’s followers jumped off the giant beast, spreading out and forming a formation on the other side, holding bone shields as if fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with the Queen and the Ruhe beast.
“Kill!” Both sides shouted loudly to muster their courage.
“Kill the false king!” The charging soldiers raised their bone spears high.
“Fight for Queen Star.” The soldiers in formation connected their bone shields together.
But it was clear that King Eli’s side had a greater advantage in numbers.
King Eli and Star controlled the giant beasts under them to confront each other, while the two of them continuously wielded the power of divine techniques, manipulating swords and spears to attack each other.
Dozens of meters away, ranks of javelin throwers continuously threw volleys of bone javelins at Queen Star.
After throwing, they retreated, and another rank stepped forward.
The javelins fell like rain, not only making the giant beast restless when they pierced its body but also threatening Queen Star.
Forcing the Queen to split her attention to defend with divine techniques or dodge.
Star was disrupted, gradually becoming cornered under King Eli’s attacks.
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