"Ah, sir, you saw it all. Really, why did you have to go and see it? It would be so much better if you hadn't seen it, sir..."
Ivy lowered her head, spoke in a low voice, her hands hung limply, and her body gradually began to sway, moving closer to Qi Ge as she swayed.
"Hiss." Qi Ge took a breath, took a step back, and stared at Ivy closely.
"Ivy, what's going on? If you have something to say, please talk to me nicely. Don't be impulsive."
"Woo~ Woo~" Gradually, soft sobbing sounds came from Ivy.
She said with a crying voice:
"Since you have seen it, there is nothing we can do."
As Ivy spoke, her shadow gradually lengthened and her body suddenly grew taller. At the same time, the golden hair on her lower body gradually grew and turned grayish white bit by bit.
Qi Ge's pupils shrank!
In his vision, the [Halfling LV36] above Ivy's head kept flickering and squirming, and finally turned into thick black ink.
As Ivy's body rose higher, the thick ink gathered again.
【Half-ghost LV36】.
As the name changed, a strong aura of evil emanated from Ivy.
The nearby shadow monsters were so frightened that they gave up attacking the evil shadow creature in the cage and huddled together in the corner, trembling in fear.
Qi Ge's first reaction was a little alert, and he even subconsciously took out the cage to prepare for battle.
But after he calmed down a little, he quickly realized something was wrong.
Ivy had no intention of attacking herself, on the contrary, her face was filled with sadness.
From her slightly raised eyes peeking upwards, Qi Ge could sense her helplessness and panic.
That expression is like a child who has made a mistake, is afraid of being beaten, feels innocent, and a little aggrieved.
Qi Ge did not rush to take action, but calmed down and asked softly:
"Ivy, are you still conscious?"
Ivy stopped approaching, paused for a long time, and then said softly:
"some."
At this time, Ivy's voice had become hoarse and sharp, as harsh as the sound of a key scratching on glass.
Qi Ge breathed a sigh of relief and then asked:
"Are you my enemy or my friend now?"
These words seemed to touch Ivy's heart, causing her body to tremble.
She shook her head and said with tears in her eyes:
"I wish I were your friend. But I don't know if you can still consider me a friend after seeing me like this."
Qi Ge's eyes focused, and more than a dozen thoughts flashed through his mind quickly.
He hesitated for a moment and said:
“If you want to be my friend, then I am your friend. Friends should be honest with each other.
Hiding the truth will only lead to unnecessary misunderstandings between each other.
Ivy, can you tell me what is wrong with you?"
Ivy's body trembled again, and this time the trembling was much stronger than the last time.
She seemed reluctant to answer the question and kept hesitating.
Qi Ge kept looking at her with gentle eyes and did not put any pressure on her.
Finally, Ivy spoke tremblingly:
“We, the halflings, are a race cursed by the world.
We are born in two states, one is human and the other is ghost.
When we are human, we belong to the darkness of justice, and when we are ghosts, we belong to the shadow of evil.
When we are human, we are the core of the Darkness of Justice, and the Shadow Lamp can transform our shadows into creatures of the Darkness of Justice camp such as Shadow Lizards.
Similarly, when we are ghosts, the ghost light can also turn our shadows into monsters from the evil shadow camp.
We halflings may turn traitor to the Darkness of Justice at any time, and we may also betray the Shadow of Evil at any time.
We are both the source of the two camps and feared by both camps.
When I met you, sir, I realized that you were not from our world.
In our world, all creatures are wary of us halflings. Only creatures born from our shadows are as friendly to us as you, my lord, are to us.
But even the creatures born from our shadows will fear and hate us after we transform into another form.
I didn't mean to hide it, I was just too scared.
I am afraid that once you know the truth, you will hate me like other creatures."
"Hate you? Why would I do that?"
Qi Ge tilted his head in confusion:
“You’re right, Ivy, I’m indeed not from this world.
In my world, there is a bird called crow.
People hate them because of their black feathers and because they always appear near dying people. They think they spread misfortune and death.
But crows are actually colorful, and their feathers are extremely gorgeous. It's just that people can't see the light such as ultraviolet light reflected by their feathers.
They are not black at all, but are the most beautiful birds in our world.
Ivy, I don’t have the ability to change your world’s prejudice against you for now, but I can choose my own attitude towards you.”
"Is this true? My Lord, you really don't hate me?
Even if I have become the ghost I am now. "
Ivy was very moved. She looked at Qi Ge with eyes that showed that she wanted to believe but couldn't.
"I won't." Qi Ge answered firmly without hesitation.
“I don’t know you well enough, but your appearance and alignment will not affect whether I choose you as my friend.
Ivy, in my world, prejudice is also a common phenomenon.
People often evaluate and judge others based on limited information, stereotypes or personal experience.
However, this bias-based perception often does not accurately define a person’s true character.
A person's character is multidimensional, including his or her behaviors, attitudes, values, and the way he or she interacts with others. These factors together constitute a person's uniqueness, and prejudice often focuses on only part of them.
From the time I rescued you until now, I have seen your hard work in training, your honesty and trustworthiness, your friendliness and enthusiasm, and your gratitude.
This cannot be erased by changing your race or alignment.
Yes, you did become a half-ghost and joined the evil shadow camp, but what does that have to do with me?
In my eyes, as long as your behavior and personality have not changed, whether you are a halfling or a half-ghost, you are still Ivy."
"My Lord!" Ai Wei's eyes were red, she bit her lip and shook her head: "My Lord, what you said is very good, it's really very good.
It's so good that I can't believe it.
If you could hug me, I'd..."
flutter!
Before Ivy could finish her words, Qi Ge took a step forward and hugged Ivy tightly in his arms.
Ivy's body was petite, soft and cold, like a delicate frost flower. She curled up in Qi Ge's arms, trembling weakly but constantly.
Her eyes were wide open and her breathing was weak and rapid, like a bird frightened in a cold winter night.
Qi Ge felt Ivy's fear and anxiety, and he hugged Ivy tightly.
His embrace was soft and warm, providing her with comfort and protection.
Qi Ge's eyes were full of concern and love. He gently stroked Ivy's hair with his palm and gently comforted her: "It's okay, Ivy, don't be afraid, I'm here."
Ivy felt Qi Ge's care and protection, and her trembling gradually became milder. She closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth and comfort.
Listening to Qi Ge's soothing voice, Ivy gradually relaxed and her body stopped shaking.
"My lord, I am convinced that you are the god I have been waiting for, yes, my lord, you must be it.
I will spend my whole life protecting you, even if the world comes to an end."
The [half-ghost] above Ivy's head shattered and instantly turned back into a [half-man].
Her body shape returned to normal, all the strange things disappeared, and the hair on her lower body turned warm and brilliant gold again.
“Huh~~~”
Qi Ge breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. He stroked Ivy's hair and wanted to release his hands, but his body was still tightly held by Ivy.
"My lord, please hold me for a little while longer, just for a little while."
Ivy buried her head in Qi Ge's chest like a puppy, deeply sucking in the smell of Qi Ge's body.
Qi Ge was a little embarrassed: "I haven't showered for more than ten days, will it smell a little bit?"
“It stinks, but I like it.”
Ivy said in a dazed voice.
Seven Pigeons: ...
Due to his height, Qi Ge's thigh just hit the water outlet, feeling very embarrassed.
It stinks, but you still keep inhaling it. You still...
Ivy, do you have a special condition that makes you do that when you smell something bad?
I tell you, your physical condition is very dangerous.
…
When Ivy finally recovered, Qi Ge felt that something seemed to have changed in the relationship between them, but at the same time, nothing seemed to have changed.
Ivy still listened to herself as she did before, but she seemed happier when she was carrying out her orders.
It's like there's a feeling that the distance between our hearts is closer.
After understanding the peculiarities of halflings, Qi Ge immediately thought of a question:
"Ivy, if I rescue all the halflings in the cages in the hall, can they become halflings and join our Dark Justice faction?"
Hearing Qi Ge's question, Ivy bit her lip and shook her head firmly:
“I think this may be difficult, sir.
If those half-ghosts were forced by the Evil Shadow to join the Evil Shadow, that would be fine, but I estimate that they most likely did so voluntarily.
This has to do with the history of our world.
There is a legend that has been circulating in our world.
A long, long time ago, the ancestors of our world mastered the power of shadow. Darkness and shadow were not hostile to each other, and there was no so-called distinction between justice and evil.
But for reasons unknown to everyone, our world has been rejected by the gods.
After being abandoned by the gods, the world has undergone many changes. The environment has become harsh, the previous food can no longer provide energy, shadows have turned into monsters, and so on.
The original shadows of evil are the monsters born from the shadows of our race that have been forsaken by God but still survived.
But no matter how bad the world becomes, the surviving races need to survive.
The survivors banded together to form the Dark of Justice.
The darkness of justice fights against the shadow of evil that splits from our bodies, studies how to improve the environment, and plants that can reproduce after drastic changes...all of this is for survival.
However, every living thing will die, so if the meaning of survival lies in immortality, then all strategies are doomed to fail.
We survive only to ensure that the darkness of our justice continues to multiply, waiting for a faint hope that may never come.
125 The Great Guardian has resisted the shadow of evil for countless years, but the disaster has become more and more serious.
All the successive Great Guardians can do is to try their best to hold on to the Darkness of Justice and pass on heavier burdens and slimmer hopes to the next generation.
Despair and suffering tend to corrupt the soul and breed fear.
However, we halflings are hated by other survivors because of our unique ability to change our camps freely.
This has led to countless halflings throughout history completely losing hope in the world and choosing to throw themselves into the shadow of evil to avenge the suffering they have endured.
They voluntarily became shadow-generating machines without any emotions or thinking ability, providing a steady supply of troops for the Shadow of Evil.
More and more halflings defected, causing the resistance line in the war of justice, which was already at a disadvantage, to gradually collapse and eventually fall apart.
This is what led to the desperate situation where there are only two cities left in the Darkness of Justice.
Therefore, even if you rescue those half-ghosts, I cannot guarantee that they will stand on the side of the Darkness of Justice like I do."
After listening to this, Qi Ge thought for a while and said:
"I roughly understand it, but I still have many doubts that I would like you to answer.
What kind of God are you talking about?
Why would God abandon your world?
Why are halflings so different that they have the ability to transform into half-ghosts and join the shadow of evil?"
Qi Ge asked three questions in a row, but Ivy lowered her head in shame:
“Sir, I don’t know the answer to any of the three questions you asked.
But I know who might know!"
"who?"
"My mother!" Ivy patted her chest proudly:
“My mother is the secretary of the 127th Grand Guardian.
The original Great Guardian is the Great Priest of the Gods and the most knowledgeable person in our world.
The knowledge of the Great Guardian is passed down from generation to generation. My mother learned a lot when she served as the secretary of the Great Guardian.
She must know the questions you ask, Your Excellency."
Qi Ge touched his chin and asked, "Then why don't I just ask the 128th Grand Guardian?"
The smile on Ivy's face gradually faded:
“The 128th Great Guardian has died not long ago, and he failed to leave behind his legacy.
We, the Dark of Justice, no longer have a great guardian."
Seven Pigeons: ...
Qi Ge patted Ivy's head and comforted her:
"I see.
It doesn’t matter, I’m here and I have it.
Since the creatures of this world are in despair because they have been abandoned by the gods, let me bring them hope again."
…
…
Since we want to ask Ivy's mother, we must leave this city.
In order to have the strength to leave the city as soon as possible, Qi Ge increased the intensity of training and extended the training time.
As for the rest of the shadow creatures...
The less rest a shadow creature gets, the more its training time increases.
The more training time increases, the more the quantity and quality of coaches will improve.
The higher the number and quality of coaches, the better the ingredients.
The better the ingredients, the better the food.
The better the food, the less rest the shadow creatures need.
Therefore, the less rest a shadow creature takes, the less it needs.
Perfect.
I, Qi Ge, haven’t slept for a day, and you are not allowed to sleep for a day. Roll up!
Under Qige's elite education, the shadow creatures fully experienced what it means to be in the last ten days of the college entrance examination sprint.
In just ten days, the total combat power of the forty shadow creatures rose to 120,000.
Combined with Qi Ge's LV100 command, their combat power has reached a terrifying 720,000!
Crouching Dragon emerges from the mountain and reflects on Chibi, and the thousand-mile natural barrier is dyed with China.
The phoenix dances in the sky and rises into the clouds; the dragon roars in the sky and defeats Cao's army.
There are enough troops, the sweep begins!
All the shadow creatures and Ivy gathered at the entrance of the dungeon waiting, while the seven pigeons and shadow lizards lured the monsters separately.
After one patrol after another was destroyed, the army of the Seven Pigeons was able to run rampant in the castle.
The team of seven pigeons, including the seven doves, has a total of 43 units.
Each unit carries a cage.
As soon as the Chaos troops in the castle showed signs of rushing over, they would immediately get into the cage and the hatred would be lifted in an instant.
Therefore, they could rely on their initiative to defeat the troops in the castle one by one.
The hall, chapel, auditorium, treasury, armory, garden, courtyard...areas one after another fell under the sweep of the Seven Pigeons.
Even some chaos monsters flying in the sky were forced to fly down and die under the ridicule of the Seven Pigeons.
Finally, there were only two spots left.
The auditorium where the half-ghosts are imprisoned, and the city gate guarded by the Eye of Moses.
Qi Ge calculated with his fingers and decided to attack the auditorium first.
The two protocol mechas have a total combat power of only 80,000, and are no match for the Qi Ge army with a combat power of 720,000.
Amid the billowing smoke and dust, parts of the Protocol Mecha flew everywhere and were smashed into pieces.
The moment the seven doves pierced through the auditorium, the Eye of Moses, which had been guarding the city gate, suddenly moved.
They flickered like ghosts, their bodies trembling as they summoned a large number of eyeballs and rushed into the auditorium.
After summoning the eyeballs, the combined combat power of the 10 Eyes of Moses reached a full 600,000!
Unfortunately, it was still no match for the army of seven pigeons.
At the moment when the Eye of Moses died, the cage on the ceiling suddenly opened.
One after another, the half-ghosts fell from the cages to the ground. They staggered to their feet like zombies and drooled at Qi Ge and the others.
"Ivy, I leave it to you!"
Qi Ge patted Ivy's shoulder. Ivy's small body was trembling, and she was obviously a little nervous.
"Um!"
Ivy responded and encouraged herself.
“Come on, Ivy, if you succeed, you can go see your mother with the adults.
Maybe I can always accompany you in the future, and live to the end of my life without shame!"
Her body suddenly changed and she turned into a horrible half-ghost again.
“Roar~~”
Ivy let out a low growl and drove away the other half-ghosts that were trying to approach.
Her voice was still sharp and hoarse, but less sinister and more energetic than before:
"My fellow tribesmen, do you see this person next to me?
He is a god from another world, who came to save our world.
Just like the sun shining through the darkness, the gods came across the sky and descended here.
His figure traveled through reincarnation and saved countless worlds.
The road to the future is right under our feet. Don't be sad or afraid, but look forward to tomorrow with confidence.
New gods have emerged, how can you stand still?
The sufferings of the past will all be over, and the dream of halflings and other races living together in equality will come true soon."
In Qi Ge's expectation, even if Ivy's words could not wake up all the half-ghosts on the spot, they would at least make them hesitate or stop attacking.
But Qi Ge didn't expect that they showed no signs of stopping at all, and still pounced towards him with their fangs and claws.
Ivy sighed and slowly transformed back into her original form.
She murmured, "My lord, they have completely fallen into the pain of being forcibly stripped of their shadows for a long time. They have long lost their sanity and are just a group of mindless monsters.
Words alone cannot save them, let us just let them rest in peace."
"Well. Well then, Ivy, I allow you to lead the troops to relieve their suffering."
"yes!"
Ivy waved her hand and led a large group of shadow elites to fight against the half-ghosts.
Dark: 72000 VS Shadow: 34000
Smoke and dust rose, and the sound of fierce fighting came from the smoke and dust.
Soon, the battle was over, and all the half-ghosts lay on the ground, unconscious, with relieved expressions...
The last guarding force of the evil shadow died, and the ghost lamp that had been emitting purple light flickered a few times and turned into a shadow lamp emitting dark golden light.
[System prompt: You have successfully captured the city [Prison Pigeon City]. ]
[System prompt: The evil shadow's troops have set out from the surrounding cities, trying to recapture [Prison Pigeon City]. ]
【System prompt: You can choose:
1. Join the Dark of Justice and transform [Prison Pigeon City] into the Dark of Justice camp.
2. With [Prison Pigeon City] as the core, establish an independent force.
If you choose option 1, the Dark of Justice will learn of your escape and send reinforcements to [Prison Pigeon City].
If you choose option 2, the Darkness of Justice will not be able to learn that you have escaped, you will not be able to get support, and the number of troops that the Shadow of Evil sends to [Prison Pigeon City] will be doubled. 】
"Hmm?! Is there any need to think about this? Of course, I'll choose 1."
Qi Ge was about to confirm when a flash of lightning suddenly flashed through his mind.
“No, that’s not right, choosing one would be bad.
[Prison Pigeon City] is located in the center of the Evil Shadow camp. If the strategy group coming in to conquer the dungeon now has the ability to get here, they will go here whether they have any news about my escape or not.
If they don't have the ability to get here, the news of my escape will force them to attack Prison Pigeon City by force.
The battles in this world are simply a test of combat effectiveness. In a corps battle, if a corps without sufficient combat effectiveness fails, the entire army will be wiped out.
Rather than letting them take the risk, I'd rather take it myself.
At least, my troops and I are small and flexible enough."
"I choose 2! Independence!"
【System prompt: Congratulations on establishing a new faction. Please select a faction name:
Neutral Dove or the Land of Yasha. 】
"These two names... seem to imply something..."
Qi Ge didn't have time to think about it and directly chose [Land of Yasha].
【System prompt: You have established a new force [Land of Asia].
Should we rename the capital of [Land of Yasha]? 】
"Yes! It turns out that this Prison Pigeon City is too ugly, comparable to Fallen Phoenix Hill.
Well, let’s change the name to Victory City!
The land of Yasha, the city of victory, Yasha will win!"
【System prompt: The city name has been modified. 】
【System prompt: You currently own the City of Victory.】
[System prompt: Your city currently has 42 residents and is seriously short of residents.
Only the shadow light works properly.
Please recruit residents as soon as possible to develop the city. 】
[System prompt: Please select the representative color of your faction. Currently black and gray are not available.]
"Then of course I would choose yellow."
【System prompt: You have selected yellow. 】
"Sir! You have established a new power!!"
Ivy looked at her hands and was extremely surprised.
She could clearly sense that she was completely different from her previous self.
There is a mysterious connection between her and Qi Ge. Even if she closes her eyes, she can feel Qi Ge's location.
“This must be the connection between the gods and the believers! Your Excellency is amazing.
He could have ruled the world directly, but he insisted on hiding his identity and blending in among mortals.
It’s so easygoing!”
Qi Ge studied the city's construction system a little and understood it immediately.
Whether it is the armory or the kitchen, all logistical equipment requires [manpower] to activate.
A shadow creature or a normal creature is considered a [human power].
Compared to the poor reproduction ability of normal creatures, using shadow lamps to produce [shadow creatures] is the best way to quickly obtain [manpower].
If the Victory City is in a safe state, what Qi Ge has to do now is to capture normal creatures everywhere and persuade them to let their shadows produce shadow creatures.
But the situation is different now.
Qi Ge took a deep breath and said to Ivy, who was smiling for some reason:
"Go to the armory, the kitchen, the study... search for everything we can. We're abandoning the city!"
"ah?!"
Ivy was dumbfounded.
…
…
In the endless desert, brown and black sands form a black ocean.
The sky was so dark that not even a white cloud could be seen floating by.
The air was scorching hot, and Qi Ge's skin was as red as if it had been burned by a branding iron.
The air here is filled with heat that comes from nowhere and seems to be able to burn everything.
Qi Ge was carrying seven cages stacked in a line and walking at the front of the team.
Behind him, Ivy and the shadow creatures lined up in a long line, each carrying at least one cage and other more or less things.
Qi Ge and his team had been walking for three days, and the corpses of the evil shadows that the team carried with them had been almost all used up.
[System prompt: Your winning city is being attacked, please provide support and defense in time.]
…
[System prompt: Your winning city has been captured, please defend it in time.
…
[System prompt: In the Yellow Force's Yasa land, you have lost the last city.
Please obtain a new city within 7 days, otherwise you will be forced to lose and all units belonging to your faction will be wiped out. 】
The name of the city, Bishengcheng, has a good meaning, but its fate is obviously not good.
In just three days, Bisheng City was destroyed.
When Qi Ge heard the last system prompt, the team suddenly stopped.
Although Ivy and the others couldn't hear the prompts, they could feel as if a piece of their hearts had been lost, and they felt empty and wanted to cry.
They immediately realized what had happened.
"My Lord... our only home is gone."
Ivy grabbed Qi Ge's sleeve, feeling a little aggrieved.
Qi Ge turned around and licked his dry lips.
"I know. Don't worry, we'll be at another home soon."
Qi Ge stretched out his hand, pointed at the tall sand dunes and said:
“Bisheng City is great. It is our first home and the place where we met. I have deep feelings for Bisheng City.
But we can't hold on.
When attacking the city, the troops of the Shadow of Evil will rush forward all at once, leaving us no chance to defeat them one by one.
So Bisheng City does not belong to us now, so we must retreat.
If the people are saved but the land is lost, both the people and the land are lost; if the land is saved but the people are lost, both the people and the land are gained.
What we have to do now is to increase our combat effectiveness as much as possible within a limited time!
As long as you climb over that mountain, you can see the new city.
That is our new home, and new companions are waiting for us.
All the cities around Bisheng City will send troops to Bisheng City, which means that the military forces inside their cities will become empty.
With the current strength of our team, as long as we operate well, it will be no problem to capture the city without any damage.
Taking down the city means we will rescue new prisoners, get new rewards, and expand our team.
As long as we have no losses and can continue to become stronger.
One day, we will fight back and take back the city of victory."
"Yes! We understand, sir!"
After hearing Qi Ge's explanation, the morale of Ivy and the shadow monsters in the team was instantly restored a lot.
This is also the reason why Qi Ge chose to explain it to them now.
The first effort is strong, the second is weaker, and the third is exhausted.
The Seven Pigeons didn't want to waste the precious opportunity to boost morale on their way to escape.
The siege is about to begin, which is just right.
Although the battles in this world are based on combat power, willpower and morale can ensure that they will not retreat or rebel.
After climbing over the sand dunes, Qi Ge and his friends could already see the city.
This is a super-large city that is six times larger than the Pigeon City. There are four city gates alone, and each gate is guarded by a dozen Eyes of Moses.
It was not until this time that Ivy realized a key problem:
"Sir, if we want to attack the city, we have to attack the gate.
Even with you here, our combined fighting power is not enough to take down any of the city gates.
What can I do? "
"Don't panic, I expected this."
Qi Ge smiled slightly, and a gleam of wisdom flashed in his eyes.
…
…
Half an hour later, Ivy and the shadow creatures sat sluggishly in their cages on the sand dunes.
They watched in shock as the seven pigeons made dozens of trips back and forth, carrying more than forty empty cages one after another to the vicinity of the city wall.
Then he used the cages of different heights to build a large ladder and climbed up to the city wall.
The guards on the city wall are LV55 sticky monsters, and their reconnaissance capabilities are far inferior to those of the Eye of Moses.
The stealth of Qige is up to LV32, so they won't be aware even if Qige dances closely in front of them.
After confirming that there was no problem , Qi Ge began to carry the cages containing his troops up one by one.
Ivy sat in the cage with a confused look on her face, and greeted the sticky monster who also had a confused look on his face:
"Well, hello?"
It’s obvious that clingy monsters don’t know how to behave.
Instead of politely responding to Ivy's greeting, he locked the cage with an expressionless face.
Crack!
Ivy: ...