Chapter 60: A Nation in Uproar

Chapter 60: A Nation in Uproar

In the foul-smelling slum inn, Justin suddenly opened his eyes.

Staring at the peeling walls of the inn, his mind was momentarily dazed.

Just a second ago, he had been prowling deep underground in the wilderness, searching for traces of beastmen. Yet in the next moment, he found himself back in the inn.

The abrupt shift felt like a dream—both real and illusory.

It took Justin a long while to regain his senses.

Instinctively, he activated the internet, attempting to re-enter the Conquest of Subdomains. However, as soon as he clicked, a warning popped up:

[Warning: Your soul power has dropped below the threshold. Please recover before entering again.]

How could this be?!

Justin’s frustration flared at the sight.

Though his hastily assembled squad hadn’t encountered any beastmen after leaving the city through the portal, the thrill of lurking beneath the wilderness had already deeply captivated him.

Wasn’t this the adventurous life he had always yearned for?

Dancing on the edge of a blade, singing amidst bloodshed!

Truth be told, Justin was utterly enthralled by the Conquest of Subdomains, even though it had barely begun.

"Hah..."

Realizing reality couldn’t be defied, Justin exhaled deeply, trying to suppress his agitation.

Night had already fallen over the Azarea Continent, but sleep was the last thing on his mind.

He opened the Forum and was astonished to find that a dedicated sub-forum for Conquest of Subdomains had already appeared.

Clicking into it, he saw that the newly created forum was already bustling with activity!

New posts kept flooding in, with everyone discussing the Conquest of Subdomains.

"Totally screwed! Shouldn’t have picked the first mission. Damn it, a whole horde of beastmen charged at me, and I didn’t even have a sword. Before I could react, I got smashed into pulp! Now I’m stuck in the labor camp earning gold coins. How miserable is that?!"

"Mind-blowing! You can cast magic even while controlling a puppet! I just used an Earth Spike and took down a beastman—50 merit points in the bag! Traded them for a two-handed sword."

"Insane!"

"Worship the master!"

"I’m so pissed! Wandered outside the city for ages and didn’t see a single beastman. Instead, a ferocious beast bit my head off in one chomp. Anyone worse off than me?"

"Sympathy!"

"Hahaha, I’m dying of laughter."

"Holy crap, the Conquest of Subdomains is way too realistic! It’s practically a whole new life."

"Oh great Internet God, can I bring my own weapons? If not, can I at least buy some there?"

"So frustrating! With my magic apprentice-level soul power, I can only play for four hours? And I still have magic classes during the day, which drains a ton of soul power. What do I do?"

"Hey, upstairs, did you forget? You can share the puppet’s mana! That saves you the time of cultivating mana. You can use that time for Meditation instead!"

"Oh right! Why didn’t I think of that?"

Everyone eagerly discussed the various details of the Conquest of Subdomains.

From techniques for using puppet bodies to mission breakdowns and personal experiences, no topic was left untouched.

They soon realized that the city defense mission, though seemingly simple, was actually far more difficult!

Because in large-scale battles like these, combat skills provided only a limited advantage.

Sometimes, just as you manage to kill one beastman here, another smashes your body to pieces over there.

Of course, choosing to harass the enemy from behind their lines isn’t simple either. It means venturing deep into hostile territory, isolated and without support.

Yet, even so, a master managed to secure the first kill.

However, his experience was hard to replicate.

Because he was already a Grand Magus to begin with. After sharing his puppet, his own mana actually strengthened the puppet’s power.

Not only did the puppet’s innate attributes surpass most people’s, but it could also cast intermediate-level magic. Hunting down lone beastmen was as easy as flipping a hand.

This made countless people in the Forum wail in despair.

A master in reality, and still a master when controlling a puppet in the subdomain? Some people are just born to make others feel inferior.

Seeing this, Justin couldn’t help but feel disheartened.

However, he was soon fired up by another line of thought, his ambition reignited.

"Have you all considered this? Since life force and mana can be shared with puppets, why not specialize in soul power? As long as we hunt enough beastmen in the subdomain, we can exchange for stronger puppets—which in turn will enhance our real-world strength. Cultivating mana can’t be cheated, but hunting beastmen can!"

It was this very argument that made Justin glimpse another path forward.

That night, Justin practically lived in the Forum, exchanging gaming tips with others and discussing strategies for hunting beastmen.

By dawn, his knowledge of bizarre traps had skyrocketed, and he couldn’t wait to test them in-game.

When morning came, Justin clicked [Conquest of Subdomains] again. The interface showed that his soul power was sufficient to log in—but only for half an hour.

This dampened his spirits, but just then, an old mercenary he knew from his days in the trade sent him a voice communication.

"Hey, brat! I’ve got a cargo escort job—two days’ travel, 500 copper coins. You in?"

"500 copper coins?" Justin’s voice rose. That was way above the standard rate!

"Damn, don’t tell me you’re playing that [Conquest of Subdomains] thing too?"

In a flash, Justin realized why the pay had increased—many well-off mercenaries were hooked on the game and had no time for work!

In truth, the impact of [Conquest of Subdomains] went far beyond just mercenary wages.

After just one night, the phenomenon had shaken the entire Keville Empire!

Nearly every sub-forum was buzzing about this "internet game that masquerades as child’s play but delivers the brutal reality of war."

Countless impoverished commoners, for the first time in their lives, felt the presence of mana.

For the first time, they witnessed the true horror of large-scale warfare.

And for the first time, they experienced a life utterly different from their daily grind of survival.

Many were left stunned, their scalps tingling with awe and terror at this unprecedented experience.

In no time, not only was the internet ablaze with discussion, but even the streets and alleys were filled with chatter.

The higher-ups of the Keville Empire urgently convened a meeting.

...

Felix·Ringed Magic Tower

The Empire’s three Gods of Magic hastily gathered to discuss the immense power and influence revealed behind the Internet God’s sudden update of this new feature.

"From the intelligence we've gathered so far, it's clear that Duofei City wasn't built overnight. Numerous details indicate this city has at least a century of history. Evidently, this domain belongs to the Internet God."

No sooner had Dandell's voice faded than Qimoer countered,

"No, I disagree. Currently, the Dofi domain has only revealed a single city. I strongly suspect this is the Internet God's invasion of the beastmen's domain. This city was likely relocated from another plane to serve as an invasion gateway!"

"Qimoer makes a valid point," said Beixi, the God of Magic. "The Internet God is cunning and deceitful—we can't take his claims about the 'Conquest of Subdomains' at face value. If this were truly his domain, given his stature, how could he possibly be cornered by beastmen in a siege?"

Dandell narrowed his eyes. "You both raise good points. I was careless. If this truly is the Internet God's invasion of the beastmen's domain, then his choice to spread divine techniques within our Keville Empire suddenly makes sense!"

Qimoer and Beixi exchanged glances and spoke in unison: "This is a covert recruitment tactic!"

"Not just recruitment," Dandell added. "Our Keville Empire has also become his Source Essence spring. What terrifying foresight!"

Beixi frowned slightly. "Honestly, beyond all this, what unsettles me most is that a dimensional invasion can even take this form. It's utterly inconceivable."

"Indeed. Six senses sharing—it’s as if puppets are granted souls while retaining their fearless nature. With an endless supply of puppets, it’s tantamount to a nation in arms. This is the perfect strategy against the beastmen!"

"And it’s not just that. For our Keville Empire, the benefits are immeasurable."

"Ordinary citizens have limited soul power, logging in for at most two hours a day. This won’t disrupt daily life or production—in fact, they’ll gain tremendous benefits by sharing the puppets’ mana and life force."

"This is truly a mutually beneficial arrangement."

"The people gain advantages, but during those two hours of login time, they also fight for the Internet God, contribute Source Essence, and witness warfare firsthand. If war ever comes, it’s as if the entire nation is armed."

"It’s not just ordinary citizens who benefit. High-level mages also gain invaluable experience."

"Magic knowledge is ultimately lifeless. No matter how advanced the spells one masters, if they can’t be deployed on the battlefield, they’re useless! The 'Conquest of Subdomains' provides mages with an absolutely safe training opportunity."

"So, for the Keville Empire, the 'Conquest of Subdomains' isn’t just harmless—it’s immensely advantageous!"

"Based on what we know now, that seems to be the case."

At this point in the discussion, the three Gods of Magic couldn’t help but exchange glances, each seeing profound shock and awe in the others’ eyes.

They still vividly recalled how the Internet God’s low-price food strategy had stunned them with its fiendish cunning.

Yet now, behind that strategy, the Internet God had revealed an even more terrifying and intricately layered intellect.

"Thankfully, we’ve already formed a contract and become allies," Beixi couldn’t help but murmur.

Dandell and Qimoer nodded instinctively, a chill of retrospective fear running through them.

What a relief they hadn’t refused the Internet God’s offer of cooperation back then.

Otherwise, if he were to launch a full-scale invasion of the Keville Empire as he did with the Dofi domain, the Keville Empire would undoubtedly be in grave danger!

By then, the entire empire would gradually shrink under the relentless harassment of the intelligent puppets, eventually dwindling into the sixteen city-states before being devoured one by one.

"Since we are allies, wouldn't it be inappropriate to stand idly by when our ally is in trouble?" Beixi suddenly remarked.

"Hmm?" Dandell and Qimoer exchanged glances, instantly grasping the underlying meaning in Beixi's words.

The Internet God is so formidable—if not now, when else would be the time to show goodwill?