Chapter 253

The unknown vibration that terrified the entire world, making everyone’s hearts race, shaking both humans and beasts alike, swept across the entire continent. However, if we disregard the range and focus solely on the vibration itself, its intensity was still extremely minimal. At least, that was the case for most regions of the continent.

In truth, the damage it caused to people was negligible. At most, it created a sense of unease, and the endless shaking caused some elderly and weak individuals to complain of dizziness. But the important thing was this: no matter how long they waited, there was no sign of it ending! It was as if, from this moment on, the ground was no longer static but dynamic—a new norm that had taken root in the world. This was even scarier than an earthquake!

“Ahhh, what on earth is happening?!”

“Is this really a sign of the world collapsing? Why is this happening?”

The sighs and laments of the people seemed to cover the entire continent. Everyone was trapped in unease. Even if they tried to comfort themselves by saying it was fine, deep down, they all knew something was wrong. They instinctively realized that something fundamental had gone awry.

Something beyond their senses.

Sometimes wiser than human reason and intellect.

Something that acted before they could even think.

It felt as though whatever life force humans and beasts possessed was fiercely warning them. It was ominous and uncontrollable. People unconsciously closed their mouths and held back their words. Only a few optimists cracked jokes to their neighbors.

“Hey, it’s like free exercise! Why are you all so gloomy? Come on, nothing’s going to happen. Life has its ups and downs. The shaking will stop eventually, right?”

“This thrilling tension… I’ve always wanted to feel something like this. I actually like it.”

But aside from those few, everyone else seemed frozen in place. Farmers dropped their tools, fishermen let go of their nets. Even the parties of nobles and wealthy individuals, which had continued despite the war with the Death God, were postponed as if by some unspoken agreement.

The people of the continent were lucky, relatively speaking. The closer one got to the epicenter, the stronger the vibrations became, far surpassing what those in distant regions felt. The Hydra, slowly crawling across the Eastern Plains, let out a roar and raised its heads to survey its surroundings.

*Squeak?*

But even as its nine heads scanned the area in every direction, there was nothing to see. The monster, experiencing such ground-shaking for the first time, stopped in confusion.

Was someone attacking it? But if so, who?

If it were just an ordinary beast, it would have cowered in fear, burying its head in a hole or running around in panic. But the Hydra was a monster. It didn’t scare easily.

Yet, no matter how brave it was, even if it carried the deadliest poison in the world, at this moment, it was no different from any other living creature. Suddenly, the monster raised all nine of its heads and stared in one direction.

*Squeeeeak?!*

Its mouths gaped open involuntarily. All nine faces wore expressions of utter stupor. The moment it noticed the massive, writhing entity moving around, the monster let out a terrified scream. It began to flee southward at its top speed.

The leisurely stroll it had been taking across the Eastern Plains was now a distant memory. It didn’t even think of spewing fire to threaten anything. The monster, which had always considered itself enormous, now witnessed true enormity. It had no courage to stand before such a thing.

Perhaps that entity had no interest in the Hydra, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t dangerous. The monster made a wise choice. If that thing stepped on the Hydra, all that would remain would be minced meat.

It knew. That thing had just begun to rise, and its southward movement was painfully slow. It had only stretched a bit, like waking up from a nap. It would take a long time before it reached the Hydra.

Though the monster’s intelligence wasn’t as vast as its body, its nine heads weren’t just for show. It wasn’t stupid enough to miss such obvious facts, yet it fled in terror nonetheless. When fear overwhelms reason, the presence of intellect becomes irrelevant.

If even the monster was in such a state, humans were in an even worse condition.

While residents of other continents trembled in unease, the people of the Eastern Plains were paralyzed with fear. Every time the ground shook violently, screams and wails filled the air. No one could control the people or quell their anxiety. Even the most respected figures were powerless.

*Boom! Crash! Rumble…*

The sound of collapsing houses and warehouses was drowned out by the deafening noise of the ground breaking apart. Nowhere was safe. Everything on the ground was shaking.

“Everyone, hurry to the gate! You must escape, now!”

“Move, you brat! Don’t block my way. Do you want to die?”

“Who’s the real brat here? It’s because of people like you cutting in line that everything’s a mess and people are dying. You think you’re the only one with a temper?”

Chancellor Rambus didn’t even need to shout. People swarmed like bees to a flower. Those who had ignored warnings to evacuate earlier were now the first to rush out, pushing and shoving to get through the gate as quickly as possible.

This was a life-or-death crisis, and everyone was on edge. Even threatening them with a sword wouldn’t make them back down. The gate shook precariously from the ongoing vibrations, further sinking people’s hearts. If it collapsed, escape would be impossible.

The option of scavenging for whatever food remained in the ruined houses and marching south across the Eastern Plains on foot was, while not impossible, close to madness. No one wanted to do that.

They would freeze to death, starve to death, or die in some other way. If they truly attempted such a grueling march, they would witness people dropping dead along the way.

Ardein von Illumina shook her head. Even if she used her Dragon Form Technique, calming these people was out of the question. The ground was shaking so violently that even she, a Master, felt uneasy. Others were in an even worse state. Even Kisea, another Master, had lost her composure and was visibly anxious.

“Let’s run, quick! If we stay here any longer, we’ll die without a trace. This is terrifying. What on earth is happening… We need to get to the Empire, now!”

“What about the people left here?”

“Is that important? I need to survive first!”

Her kin, the gray wolves, had already evacuated through the gate as soon as the crisis began. Only Kisea, who had been handling administrative duties due to her title of “Acting Beast King,” was delayed.

At the words of the “Acting Beast King,” Ardein and Chancellor Rambus exchanged glances and sighed simultaneously. If even the Acting King was in such a state, who could possibly bring order to this chaos?

“We’ve done enough! If we stay here any longer, we’ll all die!”

“The ground is shaking violently, but it’s not a threat to a Master, is it? Instead of being so scared, why don’t you act like a proper Beast King and lead the people?”

Ardein sighed and restrained Kisea, who looked ready to bolt for the gate at any moment. In a pure contest of magical power, Ardein, trained in the Imperial techniques and the Dragon Form Technique, could easily overpower Kisea.

Right now, ordinary people were swaying as if drunk, and many were falling over while walking. Taking even a single step was difficult.

However, Masters, who could fly almost indefinitely if they wished, were free to move even in this situation. Even if they chose to walk on the shaking ground, they could do so with stability. In times like these, such abilities were more than just useful.

“Her Highness is absolutely right. Take a page from General Leon’s book. He’s far from perfect, but when this situation arose, he bravely went to rescue people instead of running away. Though, to be honest, the real bravery lies with the soldiers under his command.”

In any case, for those who had trained their magical power to a certain level, this situation might take their homes and land, but it wouldn’t take their lives. Seeing Kisea, a Master, so frightened was not a good look. People were too busy saving their own lives to care about the Acting Beast King, but if they had noticed, it would have been a disgrace.

“This definitely isn’t the end. That’s the problem.”

The wolf lowered her voice and whispered.

“If this vibration is caused by some enormous creature moving, as Kyle mentioned, then this is just the beginning. Not even the beginning—just a precursor. If we stay here any longer, something terrible will happen!”

“Regardless, the worst hasn’t happened yet. And yet you want to run? As the Beast King, you should take responsibility. A ruler should die with their nation, shouldn’t they?”

“What nonsense is that? Is this what you call responsibility without power? No one’s even listening to me! What kind of responsibility are you talking about?”

She had no legitimacy, was only acting as a substitute, and had never proven her abilities. Naturally, she had no power. To demand responsibility from someone who had gained nothing was infuriating.

Despite everything being in chaos, the evacuation was surprisingly swift. Beast-kin were naturally more physically capable than humans, with better reflexes. Their survival instincts were also heightened, making their senses sharper in this extreme tension.

Even though they crowded the gate in a disorderly manner, they managed to pass through with astonishing efficiency. If ordinary humans had gathered in such numbers, they would have been stuck, pushing and shoving without making progress. But beast-kin, unless they were elderly or weak, didn’t have that problem. They all escaped smoothly.

After all, the people living in the Eastern Plains were beast-kin. They had survived in such a harsh environment, so their survival skills were unmatched.

Ardein clicked her tongue as she realized this. Indeed, worrying about the beast-kin was unnecessary. Trying to control them might even backfire.

*Truly, they are a different species.*

The Princess, who had released the wolf, pondered what to do next. She had no idea what the Empire’s current situation was.

There were many things she was curious about, but the most pressing question was this: Would the Empire still be preparing to face the Death God at this very moment?

*If humans and beast-kin are so different, humans and the Death God must be even more so. We need to pay attention to the Death God’s next move.*

Strictly speaking, that was the Death God’s problem, not the Empire’s.

But it was still something to worry about. In the Princess’s view, the Empire likely wouldn’t launch a preemptive strike against the Death God at this moment. They would need to reclaim the corrupted territories eventually, but not now, when their national strength was severely weakened.

If the Death God proposed a truce, the Empire would probably accept it reluctantly. In times like these, when the ground itself was shaking, human wars typically ended that way.

Fighting a war now was unthinkable. But whether the Death God followed such conventions was anyone’s guess. In any case, caution was necessary.