CHAPTER 15

Seeing that the general had fled, the Egyptian soldiers threw away their shields and spears one by one and fled in all directions.

"Don't let him get away!" Sig commanded the Athenian soldiers, pointing at the fleeing plague. He fired a light cannon, but the distance was not enough.

Rhodes stared at the back of the plague, knowing that this guy had caused the death of innocent people in Athens. A wildfire ignited in his eyes.

"Ding! The host [Rhodes] has evolved [Heat Vision]!"

A stream of red light burst from his eyes, and two scorching beams shot toward the plague, piercing through several Egyptian soldiers along the way, reducing them to ashes instantly.

The plague felt a chill behind him, turned around to check, and saw two parallel beams of red light shot in front of him, piercing through his chest before he could react.

The white horse under him suddenly stopped. The plague hadn't figured out what happened. He looked down and saw two blood holes in his chest. From the cross-section, he could see that his internal organs melted like magma, gradually evaporating into a foul-smelling blood mist.

He vomited a mouthful of blood, and his body fell on the horse's back, gradually burning.

Feeling the burning sensation from his back, the white horse sped up, throwing the plague's body off and fleeing into the distance.

Rhodes, the remaining Egyptian soldier, didn't intend to let go. He unleashed laser beams from his eyes, cutting down every living creature and substance within reach in an instant. The battlefield turned into a sea of blood, replaced by a haunting silence. All the Egyptian soldiers died on the ground, their bodies consumed by the flames and turned into ashes.

The Athenian soldiers were terrified, hiding behind Rhodes, fearing his divine power might harm them.

Sig was also frightened, unable to comprehend Rhodes' extraordinary growth rate. He couldn't recall any ancestors in history who could match Rhodes' rate of growth.

Only a few Egyptians who accidentally fell while fleeing escaped unharmed, stood up, and fled even more frantically.

"Don't chase them; let them report back," Rhodes ordered.

The Athenian soldiers began to clean up the battlefield and didn't continue to pursue the few fleeing soldiers.

After running for a while, they found that no one was pursuing them. They fell to the ground, gasping for breath, trembling, and unable to move.

"What... what was that?"

"Demon God! It's the red-eyed Demon God!"

The survivors, panting heavily, suddenly felt a cold shiver. They remembered the hellish scene they had just witnessed and immediately set off, fleeing all the way back to Egypt.

Inside the Pharaoh's palace in Egypt:

In front of the main hall, two sphinxes stood, gazing into the distance, casting an invisible sense of oppression on everyone who approached.

Inside the hall, several Egyptian deserters who survived knelt on the ground, heads lowered.

Sitting on the main hall throne, holding the golden staff of Was Sceptes, was a figure with dark blue skin, concealed eyes, and a solemn presence. His long blue hair flowed behind him, adorned with golden shoulder pads and bottoms. A scarlet gemstone adorned his waistbelt, and a silver-white longsword rested beside his seat.

After listening to the deserters' narration, he stood up, drew his longsword, and approached them.

As the heavy footsteps approached, the deserters trembled uncontrollably.

Silvery white knife lights flashed, and blood instantly stained the sandy ground. The beheadings were so smooth and precise that it was hard to imagine the killer's expertise.

"There are cowards in my army." He flicked the blood off the blade, creating an ink-like drawing on the ground. Beheading the deserters in such a solemn manner was a means to enforce military discipline.

"Lord Apocalypse!" A golden-armored Egyptian servant stepped forward and spoke, "The light cannon they mentioned might be a weapon from Asgard."

"But we've never heard of a demon god capable of using the power of the magic eye. They might be exaggerating to evade blame."

Apocalypse turned around and returned to his throne. His silver longsword emitted a lavender light before being sheathed.

The people present weren't surprised; they knew this was Master Apocalypse's telekinetic power, a supernatural ability beyond comprehension.

Compared to this mystical power, Apocalypse's other abilities were even more terrifying. A mere snap of his fingers could reduce people to a pile of flesh and blood.

In their eyes, Apocalypse was the only god in their world.

"Even without such a terrifying demon god, as long as people from Asgard get involved, it will be challenging for us to conquer Greece," he said with concern.

"And..." Apocalypse clenched his fists, "I've also lost two generals, the Plague and the War. The god with the magic eye, I must tear him to pieces with my own hands."

The hall fell into silence. They knew the strength of Asgard. The thousand Protoss soldiers who had appeared on the battlefield could effortlessly overpower an army of 30,000 with their long spears and light cannons.

Moreover, there were numerous enhanced humans who surpassed ordinary mortals, making them even more vulnerable.

To wage war against such a race, their current army was like an egg hitting a stone.

Seeing that no one had a countermeasure, Apocalypse grew even more melancholic. He couldn't afford to provoke Asgard recklessly, especially given the power of the Odin God King. Engaging in conflict would only result in mutual destruction.

"Report, Pharaoh!" A messenger sent by His Highness approached hurriedly. "A Frost Giant calling himself Laufey seeks an audience!"

Apocalypse narrowed his eyes, beckoned with a finger, and said, "Tell him to come up."

In his understanding, Frost Giants were a race from Jotunheim with a blood feud against Asgard.

After confronting Asgard, their sudden visit seemed intriguing and potentially aligned with his own intentions.

"Your Highness, Laufey and a few Frost Giants are here."

"Hello, I am the King of the Frost Giants, Laufey."

Apocalypse looked down at them humbly kneeling in front of him, raised an eyebrow, and inquired, "Why do you wish to see me?"

Laufey glanced at the corpses at his feet, then waved his hand, instantly turning these corpses into ice sculptures. The skin took on a grayish appearance as a layer of frost covered them. A few Frost Giants lightly stepped on them, causing the corpses to shatter like bubbles, turning into ice crystal debris scattered in the air. The remaining corpses vanished entirely, leaving the ground clean.

Everyone in Egypt was astonished, realizing that Laufey possessed powers similar to Lord Apocalypse.

"I've come to clear the obstacles for you," Laufey humbly stated while using frost to wipe away the blood on the ground.

"I understand that Asgard has recently offended you, and we share a deep hatred with Asgard. Therefore, I wish to assist you."

Apocalypse raised an intrigued eyebrow and extended his wrist, saying, "Please continue."

Laufey raised a finger, "But in exchange for more information, you must agree to a condition."

"What condition?" Tian Qi inquired.

"Priority should be given to eliminating Asgard's soldiers, and Athens comes second. With our weapon support, ordinary humans will be as insignificant as dust, easily swept away."

Apocalypse nodded. Since Asgard was sheltering Athens, a direct confrontation with them was inevitable. It made sense to eliminate the most potent soldiers first.

Laufey smiled faintly and had his subordinates offer an ice crystal axe. "This is a Frost Axe, capable of using frost magic. It can freeze the bodies of Asgard's soldiers and directly disintegrate them."

"My people will deliver these axes to you. With these weapons, your army will become even more formidable."

Apocalypse accepted the axe and waved it casually. A streak of frost appeared, freezing an ice thorn that extended beyond the hall.

Witnessing the axe's power, everyone felt the flames of vengeance against Asgard and Athens burning within them.

Apocalypse smiled while looking at these high-end weapons. "You have shown your sincerity, and I am willing to befriend you."

Laufey smiled lightly, "It's my honor," and then left the main hall with his entourage.

Outside the Egyptian palace:

Laufey's subordinates approached him, puzzled. "Why should we show him such respect? Once we open the treasure box, he'll freeze to death here."

Laufey shook his head, gazing at the sky. "Asgard is monitoring Midgard. If we prematurely open the ice treasure box, they will undoubtedly detect a powerful magical energy source."

"By the time the ice box activates, Asgard would have enough time to send reinforcements to eliminate us."

"Moreover, can't you sense it? The power hidden within that man is astonishing. It can only be described as godlike. Even I dare not claim victory."

Several servants began to understand.

"Let these humans attract Asgard's attention due to their own grudge, and we will have the opportunity to use the ice treasure box."

The servants suddenly realized the depth of their boss's plans in recent days. Understanding the underlying strategy, they secretly chuckled, knowing that they were manipulating the humans.

In Athens, after a period of investigation, the entire Greek city and its surrounding villages were interrogated.

The Athenians informed Rhodes that they had indeed seen a blue-skinned person heading westward. They also inquired about the information from the Pegasus knights and confirmed that Laufey was moving west.

The west led to Egypt, the only direction Laufey could take.

"What should we do next?" Sig asked.

Rhodes tapped a few commands on his crystal screen and ordered the elite Pegasus troops, "Assemble immediately, and we'll head to Egypt together."

The order was swiftly executed, with all the Pegasus knights who had been searching Greece gathering in the west.

Rhodes and Sig set off immediately. Pegasus was incredibly fast, taking less than half an hour to traverse cities.

Within three hours, they had left Greece behind.

At the border of Greece, the Pegasus forces had assembled.

"We're awaiting your instructions!"

Rhodes pondered for a moment before issuing his order: "All teams will follow their original assignments and advance into Egypt. Station yourselves at the Egyptian border upon arrival and await my further instructions."

The Pegasus troops acted promptly, scouting the way into Egypt.

Rhodes and Sig also flew toward Egypt with the Pegasus troops. However, Rhodes opted for a lower profile, having his Pegasus fly at a lower altitude to avoid alerting Laufey in advance. In contrast, the other Pegasus knights were instructed to be as conspicuous as possible at the border, ensuring Laufey wouldn't dare to leave Egypt.

This way, his location remained locked.

After an entire afternoon of flight, the sky darkened. Rhodes, noticing his Pegasus looking a bit tired, decided to land. They reached a village, marking the border of Egypt.

Upon approaching the village gate, they encountered several young and middle-aged men armed with farming tools. Initially, these villagers raised their tools in a threatening manner, but their gaze shifted to Rhodes' Pegasus, and their astonishment replaced their aggression.

The farming tools gradually lowered as they inquired if Rhodes and Sig were the rescuers sent by Lord Apocalypse.

Rhodes and Sig exchanged glances, both shaking their heads.

"Has something happened here? Why are you guarding the village gate at night?" Rhodes asked.

Several villagers put down their tools and approached Rhodes, kneeling down. "You wear such impressive armor; you must be Lord Apocalypse's messengers. Our village has suffered from demon attacks. The night watchmen were killed, and the demons even made them their food."

"We beg you to save us!" they pleaded, kowtowing.

Rhodes frowned. These villagers seemed to be talking about Apocalypse, indicating that he had exerted considerable influence in this country. It also appeared that his spies might be everywhere.

While keeping a watchful eye, Rhodes explained, "We are not Lord Apocalypse's subordinates. I am an officer from Asgard; you can call me Rhodes."

"Asgard?" The villagers had never ventured far beyond their river, and their ignorance of the power dynamics of the gods was evident.

However, they recognized Rhodes as a magic soldier, immediately welcoming him and Sig into the village.

They offered the best-decorated house in the village for Rhodes and Sig to stay in and set up a lavish table in the hall.

Rhodes and Sig sat down, and hot dishes were served promptly. The women who brought the dishes wore light makeup, a rare sight in this small village. They were modestly dressed, even less so than the average person in the sweltering weather, and moved gracefully, occasionally casting glances at Rhodes.

"Sir," Sig reminded in a low voice.

"I'm aware," Rhodes replied, realizing that this wasn't just a warm invitation for a meal; it was a blatant attempt to tempt him with food and beauty.

A few men entered the hall, the same ones who had been on night watch earlier. They were accompanied by a few young girls, seemingly just on the brink of adulthood, still exhibiting the shyness typical of girls.

They sat around Rhodes and Sig, and one of the men began to speak.

"Dear sirs, please make yourselves at home. Rest in our village for a while. We have delicious food and entertainment. If you're interested..."

The speaker's gaze shifted to the young girls, and they reached out to wrap their arms around Rhodes like vines, blushing as they looked up at him.