Crossing the Border

Cheryl chuckled, swatting away Jiang Han's hand reaching towards her, and said, "Don't push your luck; I only have two scrolls on me."

He couldn't possibly give all of them to his disciple, considering the much higher likelihood of encountering god-level powerhouses compared to his apprentice.

"Is there really nothing else of value?" Jiang Han double-checked, realizing the gravity of the situation.

"Nothing!" Cheryl shook her head, "If you don't believe me, I can swear to the God of Oaths."

"No need for that," Jiang Han hastily interjected, firmly stating, "Mentor, what are you saying? I, Jiang Han, have always respected my teacher and upheld moral conduct. You know my character well..."

Even in jest, Jiang Han was well aware of how Cheryl treated him, and he couldn't afford to cause any displeasure.

Am I really clear about it?

How do I not know about it myself?

Cheryl couldn't help but mutter inwardly, but she also understood her disciple's cautious nature and knew he wouldn't blame her.

After a brief episode, Cheryl resumed her serious demeanor, saying solemnly, "Since everything is prepared, let's set out."

"Alright."

...

In no time, a massive force of several hundred thousand soldiers marched towards the south, the dense magical aura unique to the Dark Legion hanging in the air. Even the occasional creatures encountered on the way hastily retreated, fearing the imposing presence.

Along the journey, Jiang Han looked at the barren and desolate land deep within the Dark Legion's territory, curiously asking, "Mentor, how do you view the Dark Legion?"

"An insurgent force attempting to overthrow the ruling power," Cheryl calmly replied.

Perplexed, Jiang Han questioned, "Doesn't that imply evil?"

Undead... the corruption of dark magic... the ten great demons...

Subjectively, these should all symbolize evil, right?

"The lines between justice and evil are not easily defined," Cheryl cryptically glanced at her disciple, "Jiang Han, you must remember, history is written by the victors. If the Dark Legion defeats the Light Legion, then we, who establish a new power, would be the light, and they would be the darkness."

"..."

Jiang Han fell silent.

He was well aware of this, but in the game, the Light and Dark factions already belonged to different species, seemingly a racial conflict. Could it be comparable to internal strife among humans?

"I think I understand your perspective," Cheryl chuckled, "Do you believe that the Dark Legion's invasion of the Light Legion would lead to the extermination of humanity?"

"Isn't that the case?" Jiang Han deliberately followed his mentor's words, trying to extract more background story from the game.

"Whether or not civilians will be slaughtered depends on the intentions of the leaders. Even within the various factions of the Light Legion, wars occur, and atrocities are not uncommon. However, the true goal of the Dark Legion's leadership is overthrowing, not annihilation."

As a high-level immortal-level powerhouse, Cheryl had a deeper and more insightful understanding. She continued, "Among the ten great demons, some have human bloodlines. According to the Light Legion, they betrayed humanity..."

Jiang Han found it quite intriguing.

In the modern era, the story backgrounds of every game were somewhat similar, with players leading the forces of justice against evil. Unexpectedly, standing on the "evil" side provided a different perspective.

"Of course, I'm not claiming that the Dark Legion is the righteous side, attempting to justify some of their extreme actions," Cheryl smiled, explaining, "Compared to the Light Legion, the powerful individuals in the Dark Legion tend to be more ruthless and despicable. Good and bad exist on both sides, but perhaps more on ours..."

Afterward, as they marched forward, the two engaged in discussions, deepening Jiang Han's understanding of the game's background.

According to Cheryl, the so-called "dark magic" responsible for turning some creatures berserk or even causing mutations was not the work of the Dark Legion but had a different origin. It was just that the Light Legion wrongly attributed this wrongdoing to the Dark Legion.

"Not the doing of the Dark Legion..."

Jiang Han pondered.

He wouldn't fully believe Cheryl's words, but he wouldn't dismiss them entirely either.

"We've arrived!"

After trekking for several hours, Cheryl led Jiang Han to a vast grassland. Looking around, the combination of lush green grass and the azure sky occupied the entire field of vision, providing a simple yet refreshing natural scenery.

"Ding! ~"

System prompt: You have entered the map [Evergreen Grassland]!

Under the sunny sky, a gentle breeze carried the unique scent of soil mixed with grass.

"We're here?" Jiang Han puzzled.

As if understanding Jiang Han's confusion, Cheryl took a few steps forward and touched the air. Immediately, a faint golden barrier extended, seemingly slicing the sky and earth in half. Jiang Han and the legion found themselves within one half.

The significance of this barrier was to prevent them from reaching the other end of the Evergreen Grassland.

Jiang Han wasn't foolish; he knew this was a "border."

"This barrier divides the Tianheng Continent into multiple sections. If your strength is insufficient, you can't cross it," Cheryl patiently explained, then took out a scroll without hesitation and tore it apart.

"Szzz..."

As the scroll split into two, a pitch-black energy emerged and forcefully shot towards the barrier. Like a shockwave, it caused the barrier to violently tremble, ultimately creating a large hole for them to pass through.

"Let's go."

Cheryl looked back at Jiang Han, speaking seriously, "Crossing this barrier, we will reach another human kingdom."

"Alright."

Jiang Han nodded, and he and Cheryl led the way, with the weapons of the two legions following closely behind.

"Ding! ~"

System prompt: Please be aware that you have entered the Romantic Zone, within the influence of another country's power. Death penalty is doubled!

The system message seemed to inform Jiang Han that he had officially crossed the national border.

Death penalty doubled?

Opening the information panel and seeing the warning marked in red, Jiang Han shrugged, indicating indifference. He had no chance of restarting anyway, so one death or two made little difference.

"You're unfamiliar with this place. Let me take you to the vicinity of Ice and Snow City first," Cheryl said with concern. Of course, for his disciple, she would undoubtedly provide extra care.

Jiang Han would not be ungrateful: "Thank you, mentor."

"Hehe, no need to be polite."

...

After about an hour of travel, they arrived at the foothills of a snowy mountain.

"Ding! ~"

System prompt: You have entered the map [Snowwind Mountains]!

Facing the biting cold wind, Cheryl pointed to a town faintly visible through the snowfall and said, "That's the town you need to attack this time, Ice and Snow City."

"Got it."

Amidst the icy landscape, Jiang Han exhaled warm breath, his gaze sharp, "I will surely conquer it!"

Two days later, the formidable Golden-level BOSS, Jiang Han, would descend with unparalleled might to invade Ice and Snow City. Novices, tremble!