Chapter 239: Three Divine Levels

Wandering aimlessly in the streets, Rod felt a sense of confusion. After the intense battle, his body was exhausted—this deep-seated fatigue was a rare feeling for him. Looking up, he saw that it was gradually getting light. After dawn, the rays of the sunrise appeared, and a fiery red glow from the Collins Forest illuminated the entire sky. The raging flames continued to spread and burn, like fire dragons dancing in the air, clearly visible throughout Iron Bar Town and even the surrounding cities.

As the leader, Rod knew this fire wouldn’t be extinguished so quickly—at least one or two days would pass! A foul smell filled the air, overpowering the original scent of blood. The black smoke rising from the burning corpses covered the wounds of Iron Bar Town, emitting a nauseating burnt odor.

Faint crackling sounds could be heard—perhaps it was the sound of fat burning from the corpses, or maybe the cries of souls wandering between heaven and earth, Rod thought to himself.

“Reinforcements have arrived! Our reinforcements have come! The imperial troops sent to reinforce us have reached the outskirts of the city!” Nearby, a mercenary was running excitedly down the street, unharmed by the fierce battles of the previous day. Exhaustion seemed forgotten as he rushed along the streets, shouting.

With the outbreak of the beast horde, the imperial reinforcements arrived at Iron Bar Town as quickly as possible. Yet they still seemed too few—even with reinforcements from all other countries on the continent, their numbers remained minuscule. Ten thousand people were nothing in the face of the beast horde. Last night’s battle had already reduced their numbers by at least one-third! With over half dead and fewer than three thousand capable fighters left, they were clearly not enough to even dent the forces of the magical beasts. As for the ordinary soldiers, they were unlikely to be of much use, as they were far too weak.

The empire’s second wave of reinforcements, also a hastily assembled force of three thousand, could be considered a lifeline and the strongest group yet. It was said that even the weakest members among them had the strength of silver warriors. Such a group was certainly no less formidable than the previous army of ten thousand. Although their numbers were still small, further reinforcements from various parts of the continent would arrive soon, and the situation was improving.

At such a critical moment, their arrival in the city was like a stimulant, boosting everyone’s morale. With their addition, the defense would become even stronger. No wonder this guy was so excited.

Rod simply laughed at this. He knew things were far from that simple; even if reinforcements arrived, they would be barely enough. What were Collins Forest and the Source of Darkness? They had stood unshaken on the continent for ten thousand years, enduring countless betrayals and attacks yet never suffering any damage to their core—how powerful their forces must be was self-evident.

The beast horde had nearly depleted half of their strength. Unless all the elite of the continent gathered in Iron Bar Town, they couldn’t claim safety; otherwise, danger was everywhere, at all times. Relying on these people and the upcoming reinforcements, at best they could fight desperately. If they could resist easily, then Collins Forest and the Source of Darkness wouldn’t deserve their names—otherwise, Collins Forest might have already wiped out the continent long ago.

Ideals are always far from reality. Ideals are full, but reality is lean. If hopes are too high and one is too careless, the consequences could be disastrous. With a sigh, Rod headed toward the entrance of Iron Bar Town. Since reinforcements had arrived, he wanted to see just how large they were and how strong their forces really were.

With a goal in mind, Rod quickly followed the crowd toward the city gates. Passing through the road outside the barracks, he entered the city. After winding through a few streets, he soon reached the gates. By now, the area was packed with people, a bustling scene filled with all sorts of individuals and numerous soldiers, all eagerly awaiting the arrival of the reinforcements.

Standing among the crowd, Rod waited quietly. In less than ten minutes, he heard the distant roar of horse hooves, shaking the very ground. Soon after, dust billowed across the plain in the wake of the horses, a yellow haze blocking everyone’s view. The sound grew louder, and in less than three minutes, a large army finally appeared before everyone’s eyes.

The long-awaited reinforcements finally came into sight, arriving at the city gates.

At the forefront was an old man with white hair and a youthful appearance. His silver-white hair revealed his age, yet his face was rosy, indicating that they had endured much hardship during their journey. The warriors around him were panting heavily, but he remained calm, showing no signs of exhaustion from the long trek. On either side of him were two other old men in their sixties or seventies. Although aged, they, like the first old man, appeared relaxed and calm, clearly also being powerful figures. Though they concealed their strength well, Rod’s keen insight allowed him to detect their unusual presence.

The faint aura of authority they exuded inspired a sense of reverence; they were undoubtedly powerful, Rod concluded in his mind.

The silver-haired old man in the middle rode a red horse, wielding a greenish-blue long sword, looking extremely majestic. One of the men beside him was clearly a magician, holding a pitch-black magic staff with ease, as if it were nothing unusual. The other man’s profession was unclear; he carried no belongings and seemed light in load, making it difficult to determine his identity or occupation. As they slowed down and headed toward the city gates, the warriors behind and around them followed respectfully.

“Ice God Matthew, Sword God Gary, and Warrior God Bob—by the gods, they’ve arrived! Great Light God, what am I seeing? They’re all here! We’re saved! Haha, we’re saved!” As the three leaders approached, the crowd fell into silence at first—a deathly silence—before their breathing became heavier. Just as Rod turned to look in confusion, he saw everyone stunned before they began to shout in excitement.

Like lightning in a chain, the news spread everywhere, and everyone started cheering, singing praises, and honoring the Great Light God.

Rod also heard what they were saying. Realizing something, he looked ahead and was shocked to see the Ice God, Sword God, and Warrior God—three god-tier powerhouses! His judgment was correct; they truly were strong. He hadn’t expected such formidable figures to arrive.

Rod had heard of the Ice God, Sword God, and Warrior God before. They were three of the only eight god-tier powerhouses on the continent. What shocked Rod even more was that they appeared together—surely many others were equally astonished.

The Sword God is one of the two god-tier powerhouses in the Lance Empire where Rod resides. Having reached god-tier strength, his swordsmanship is so elusive that no one can trace it. It is said he has yet to encounter a rival, and his swift sword strikes are invincible and impenetrable, which is why he earned this title.

The Ice God, on the other hand, is a god-tier water magic deity belonging to the Mage Guild. He has an in-depth understanding of ice magic; in fact, several ice spells used by water mages today were created by him. Thus, the title of Ice God is well-deserved, and he is also the honorary vice president of the Mage Guild.

As for the War God, few people know much about him. He remains the most mysterious of the god-tier powerhouses, appearing and disappearing without a trace, making it impossible to locate him. It is said he has been missing for over a decade, yet here he suddenly reappeared. Hearing his title, Rod realized why he couldn’t identify him earlier—true enough, he does not belong to any combat discipline; he specializes in physical training and is said to have reached a state of invulnerability. As for weapons, his entire body is a weapon, having mastered them to the utmost degree. He is the first in history to achieve divinity through martial arts and is regarded as the most talented. At this thought, Rod felt annoyed at the person who first revealed their identities—this guy is no ordinary individual. It might not be hard to know about the Ice God and the Sword God, but to know about the War God as well? Very few people on this continent know of him. This shows that he must have had dealings with the War God.

The fact that these three have gathered here fills Rod with embarrassment. Their arrival is indeed a great help; perhaps this time there is really a chance to hold back the enemy. The impact they can have is indescribable. On another note, he also marvels at the empire’s generosity and strength—inviting three god-tier powerhouses to assist Iron Bar Town is no small gesture.

The members of the Black Tooth Legion who came to welcome the reinforcements clearly did not expect to meet these three prominent figures. With panicked expressions, they rushed outside the city, bowed respectfully in front of the three, and greeted them politely.

Staring at the three carefully, Rod, who had never seen god-tier powerhouses before, was very interested and wanted to see what made them different!

Yet his actions left him sweating profusely. As he watched the three men, their gazes caught his attention. All three turned in Rod’s direction and stared at him as if they had instantly found their target. The intensity and pressure in those three piercing looks nearly drove Rod insane. He quickly closed his eyes and gasped for breath. It seemed only when he closed his eyes that those gazes left him. Calling it a narrow escape, he opened his eyes again and was shocked to find his clothes drenched in sweat. Looking up carefully once more, he met their gazes once again. The Sword God and the Ice God nodded slightly at him, while the War God even showed a faint smile. Seeing this, Rod was almost terrified. Learning from his previous experience, he quickly lowered his head, fearing another encounter with their gazes—he didn’t want to suffer such torment again. Sensing reinforcements entering the city, Rod left the welcoming crowd with deep emotions and frustration, walking slowly away from that troubled place. Skora had told him that a mask couldn’t hide everything. In front of these three men, Rod had no confidence in hiding his identity. If his true face were revealed, he would surely be reduced to ashes before them.