ALL NOVEL Chapter 107: Being Myself
In Ankara…
An army of 15,000 Metal Fortresses stood outside the city, their metal armor reflecting a blinding light at anyone who lay their eyes on them.
Accompanying them were even more Elite Horse Archers wearing metal armor.
Ankara’s chieftain climbed up the city wall. Upon seeing the massive army, his eyes rolled upward and he fainted on the spot. His subjects didn’t hesitate to raise the white flags they had already prepared beforehand.
“We surrender!”
They are surrendering just like that? How rare.
Shu Yichao scratched his head.
He thought that nations who hadn’t been pummeled before would first try to test his hand. Letting out a sigh, he looked at the minimap.
“Next city.”
“AHHHHHH!!!”
They would howl like monkeys before anxiously striking their steeds, fleeing frantically as if something had possessed them.
Shu Yichao never saw any of them again.
He made his way to Antioch.
A white flag was flown. All of the commanders kneeled in front of the city gates to surrender.
“This is weird. Why are they surrendering so quickly? Has my reputation spread this far?”
As he approached the Holy City Jerusalem…
“The envoy of the true God is here!”
“We offer our insignificant lives to the Horseman of the Apocalypse. We only hope that you can take pity on us and spare our lives.”
They didn’t even attempt to negotiate. Everyone came out to surrender, allowing Shu Yichao to do whatever he wanted to them. Even switching religion was negotiable to them.
“Tsk. I thought that I could set Jerusalem ablaze… Why are they kneeling too?”
After conducting a grand Mandarin examination along the coast of the Adriatic Sea, Shu Yichao stared at his map and fell into deep thought.
“It looks like I have completed the tutorial. Should I head further eastward and take a peek at the next level?”
…
Time flew by.
In Constantinope…
“Hmm, does this mean that the Eastern Romain Empire has become great once more?” Constantin XI murmured under his breath as he stared at the surrender letters that had flown in like snowflakes.
Looking at the map, the Eastern Romain Empire had conquered all of the land around the Adriatic Sea, from the northern forest to the southern desert. It looked like the indomitable Romain Empire had finally returned.
“Of course not,” Sophia, who had grown a few years older, shook her head. “Your Majesty, pardon my candor, but the one they have surrendered to is the Horseman of the Apocalypse and not the Eastern Romain Empire’s Augustus.”
“…” Constantin XI clasped his face. “Sophia, can’t you say something nice for a change to humor me?”
“Your Majesty,” Sophia smiled, “honesty is a virtue. It’s one thing to lie to others, but we shouldn’t get swept into our own lies too.”
“All right.” There was a moment of silence before Constantin XI smiled, looking more relaxed than ever. “I understand. I’ll abdicate once our Caesar returns to Constantinope.”
Once our Caesar becomes the Augustus, those countries will have no choice but to acknowledge our Eastern Romain Empire! Speaking of which, Sophia is coming of age. In a few years’ time, she will be able to marry…
This means that we’re still keeping the throne within our family.
With the Caesar’s young age and incredible capabilities, our empire is as sturdy as an unmoving boulder!
Constantin XI had already calculated it all out.
“There’s no need for that,” Sophia calmly pointed out.
“Hm?”
“The Horseman of the Apocalypse once told me that the world is huge; he wishes to hack it up.”
Constantin XI was taken aback.
That’s just a phrase or something, right? She just means that he wants to explore the world… right?
Sophia paid no heed to Constantin XI’s inner thoughts and continued, “The Horseman of Apocalypse came from the East, so it’s only normal for him to return there.”
“…Ah?” Constantin XI was stunned. “You’re saying that he’ll leave the Eastern Romain Empire? He doesn’t want the huge empire he has conquered?”
He panicked.
Even though those territories officially belonged to the Eastern Romain Empire, Sophia was right to point out that the ones they had submitted to were Shu Yichao and not Constantin XI.
Right now, the areas that were truly under the Eastern Romain Empire’s control—meaning that they heeded the Augustus’ command—was roughly the territories during the peak of Basil II, as well as the areas around Italy and Hungary.
Beyond that, the Augustus’ influence was limited.
If Shu Yichao left, who was to suppress those fellows?
Constantin XI knew for one that he didn’t have the capability to do so.
“I think so,” Sophia calmly replied. “The Horseman of the Apocalypse sees these as mere transient mortal possessions. But Your Majesty, you need not worry. The Horseman of the Apocalypse has told me that I’ll become the maxed-out sacred emperor who rules the six boundaries. (T/N: The six boundaries refers to the character stat map presented in a hexagon, though Sophia misunderstands it.)
“I will do it, be it North, South, East, West, the Sky, or the Sea. I shall put everything under the Eastern Romain Empire’s rule!”
Sophia’s eyes blazed with ambition.
“During the absence of the Horseman of the Apocalypse, I, as his devout follower, shall guard the empire he has left behind. I’ll eradicate anyone who refuses to submit.
“I shall make the world speak the same tongue. I shall connect all roads in the world. I shall standardize the units of measurement in the world! Everything that he expects of me, I shall fulfill them one by one.
“I believe that a day will come when he returns!”
…
In the river…
“Clouds drift in the northwest, fluffed up like carriage tops?” Shu Yichao murmured a familiar poem as he stared speechlessly at the pitch-black sky. “Fluffed up like carriage tops? More like covering the entire sky!”
Looking at the map, he should be nearing the Transoxania region. Beyond it would be the Western Regions.
But this area was covered in billowing storm clouds that fell all the way down to the ground, grumbling menacingly as if to deter others from entering. It felt cold and eerie, and from time to time, there would be flashes of lightning.
It would be dangerous to venture in.
Shu Yichao reached out and touched the storm clouds—they felt like cotton.
“Got it.”
Realization suddenly struck Shu Yichao when he glanced at the minimap and saw that the region beyond was black.
“The developers didn’t make content for the eastern area, so they just put a black fog here to demarcate the borders. Oh well, I have no complaints. The content they have created is already excellent as it is…”
Just then…
“What’s that sound?”
He seemed to hear a furry bundle rolling around the ground.
【!!!】
【My host?!】
System 12345 cried out.
What’s going on? Did I establish communication with my host?! When was the communication system repaired?
Hold on, even the screen is repaired too!!!
【Wuuuu, my host!】
System 12345 bawled.
【I’m finally able to contact you!】
It wasn’t easy at all! I was only able to get into contact with my host when my internship was about to be completed.
Indeed, you didn’t hear wrongly.
I, System 12345, is about to complete my internship!
It could hardly sit still when Sophia turned seven.
It struggled to sleep when Sophia turned eight.
It felt restless when Sophia turned nine.
And now, Sophia is already eleven. There’s only half a year more before she reaches twelve. Once that happens, I’ll be able to submit my internship report!
Time to pop a bottle of champagne!
Granted that it hadn’t done much to help, those were trivial details not worth paying attention to.
Overjoyed, System 12345 started excitedly explaining the situation to Shu Yichao.
【My host, let me tell you something. You mustn’t get startled. Actually, you have transmigrated to another world!】
However, Shu Yichao’s reaction was…
“Is the developer updating the mod in real-time? The mission window has been switched with a voice transmission. The voice sounds quite pleasant.”
Shu Yichao yawned.
“Oh well, I’ll look into it next time. Time to log out and rest.”
【Huh?】
【My host, you have really transmigrated! I’m not lying to you. You can’t return anymore, but there’s nothing to be worried about. I…】
【Wait, what’s with those pile of metal men?】
【Those appear to be summoned through the administrative program… but why don’t I have an impression of that at all?】
System 12345 felt light-headed.
Something even more dizzying happened before its eyes.
After Shu Yichao pressed the button to log out, his body suddenly morphed into a wisp of smoke and vanished without a trace. It was almost as if he didn’t exist in this world.
The Metal Fortresses behind him also disappeared amidst a wisp of smoke, leaving with him.
【Ah?】
System 12345 was utterly flabbergasted.
【He’s able to transmigrate back on his own? Does this even make sense?】
【Hold up… My internship!!!】
Why must it happen at a time like this?! I was on the verge of success!
Not only did all of the capture targets in my internship die, but even my host has escaped too…
【WUUUUU! UWAAAAAA!!!】
What better way was there to overcome sorrow than to bawl one’s feelings out?
Just as System 12345 thought that it had fallen to its lowest point, the world proved that the worst had yet to happen…
【You previously told me that you’re a Femme Fatale Conquest System that has minimal impact on the worldview?】
The consciousness of the world questioned in a huff.
【That’s right.】
System 12345 instinctively answered.
【Right, my ass! The fuck you are a Femme Fatale Conquest System!】
The consciousness of the world roared.
【Fuck you! So many countries were destroyed. So many heroes were killed. The world’s history has been thrown into disarray. A portion of my World Essence was even siphoned off!】
【And you have the cheek to call this romance?! Are you here to intern or to wreck things up?】
【Scram!】
Before System 12345 could explain itself, the consciousness of the world had already evicted it from this world.
【…】
(ó﹏ò)