Chapter 21: The War God's Arrival

The arrival of Theoleon and his group instantly turned the tide. Amidst the crowd's stunned gazes, Ruxley, with his hands clasped behind his back, approached Arvandus and asked with a playful tone, "Still want me to surrender now?" Arvandus's body trembled. He stared at Ruxley, trying to suppress the panic rising within him. "I don't know who you are, but let me remind you—this is the Saultrouge Kingdom. I advise you not to act recklessly!" "Oh? The Saultrouge Kingdom, you say? Do you really think I wouldn't dare kill you here?" Ruxley's lips curled into a grin, revealing a set of pristine white teeth. Arvandus took a deep breath, gritting his teeth. "I am a commander of the Saultrouge Kingdom's Martial Department. If you dare harm me, the Martial Department will never let you go!" He was gambling that Ruxley wouldn't have the audacity to kill him. The Saultrouge Kingdom's Martial Department was one of the most formidable martial organizations in Kyushu, with dozens of war gods among its ranks. Over a decade ago, an external group had slaughtered more than a dozen members of the Martial Department to seize a treasure. The very next day, the department deployed over a dozen war gods to annihilate the entire organization. The incident sent shockwaves across the land, and since then, no one dared challenge the authority of the Martial Department within the kingdom's borders. Arvandus was counting on this reputation to protect him. He straightened his back, looking fearlessly at Ruxley. That's right—behind him stood the entire Saultrouge Kingdom's Martial Department. No matter how powerful Ruxley might be, he wouldn't dare act against him! "Haha!" Ruxley laughed heartily. Instead of paying Arvandus any mind, he glanced toward the nearby woods and spoke calmly, "You've been watching for a while now. Why not come out? I'm curious, does this General Arvandus represent your intentions or those of the Saultrouge Kingdom's Martial Department?" As soon as Arvandus appeared, Ruxley had sensed a war god-level expert lurking near the villa. It wasn't hard to deduce that this war god must be from the Martial Department. Ever since Ruxley decided to return to his homeland for revenge, he knew that a confrontation with the Martial Department was inevitable. The department, after all, was the guardian of the Saultrouge Kingdom, tasked with maintaining its security. Meanwhile, the Shura Palace, notorious on the international stage, was seen as a dangerous entity that the department would never allow to operate within the kingdom. Ruxley had no desire to provoke the Martial Department, but that didn't mean he feared them. If they chose to stand in the way of his revenge, he would not hesitate to push back. Boom! A cold light flashed in Ruxley's eyes, and suddenly, an overwhelming aura erupted from him, enveloping the woods. Under the terrifying pressure, Arvandus's face turned ashen, and he spat out a mouthful of blood before collapsing to the ground. The onlookers were utterly stunned. They had assumed Ruxley's power lay solely in his formidable subordinates, but now it was clear that his own strength was just as terrifying. Merely by releasing a fraction of his aura, he had severely injured Arvandus, an eighth-grade general. It was beyond terrifying. As Ruxley's aura surged, a tall, middle-aged man stepped out from the woods. He exuded a powerful presence, clad in a white martial uniform with a dazzling golden sun war god badge on his shoulder, his commanding aura making him appear naturally imposing. This man was none other than Alfox, the chief of the Intelligence Department of the Saultrouge Kingdom! "War… War God!" The crowd gasped as they spotted the golden sun war god badge on Alfox's shoulder, their eyes wide with disbelief. They could never have imagined that today's events would escalate to the point where even a war god from the Martial Department would get involved. At this moment, the crowd lost all interest in the spectacle, replaced by a deep sense of shock. "This… How is this possible?" Vanesse muttered in disbelief as she stared at Alfox. She had never dreamed that Alfox would personally come to Eastern City. Alfox was no ordinary war god. As the chief of the Intelligence Department, he was a key figure within the Martial Department, his strength at the pinnacle of war gods, making him one of the most feared experts in the department. Compared to him, her grandfather was insignificant. Arvandus, upon seeing Alfox, felt a surge of joy. Struggling to get to Alfox's side, he pleaded, "secretary Marsh, this man is openly defying our Martial Department. Please, deal with this villain severely!" After speaking, Arvandus shot a vicious glance at Ruxley, a sinister smile forming on his lips. This fool dared to cause trouble in the Saultrouge Kingdom! Today, Alfox would surely deal with him harshly. To Arvandus's shock, however, instead of taking action against Ruxley, Alfox kicked him aside, his voice cold. "Who gave you the authority to mobilize the Flying Swallow Army on your own? As a general of the Martial Department, instead of guarding your post, you abandoned your duties and abused your power. Is this what Ray taught you?" The entire area fell into a deathly silence, so quiet that even the sound of a pin dropping could be heard. Everyone—Vanesse, Haldis, Tarragon, and others—was stunned. None could have anticipated that Alfox, a war god of the Saultrouge Kingdom's Martial Department, would reprimand Arvandus instead of backing him. What was going on? Even Arvandus himself was dumbfounded. Holding his chest, he looked at Alfox with a confused expression. "secretary Marsh, you..." He couldn't believe Alfox would turn on him! Ignoring Arvandus, Alfox turned to Ruxley, cupping his hands with a respectful smile. "Lord White, I am Alfox. I've long heard tales of your prowess. Seeing you today, I must say, your reputation is well deserved." Alfox's words were not mere flattery. When he first laid eyes on Ruxley, he had been genuinely shocked. He couldn't gauge Ruxley's strength at all. Had Ruxley not released a powerful aura moments ago, Alfox might have mistaken him for an ordinary person. What did this mean? Ruxley's strength was far beyond his own. In all his years, this was the first time Alfox had encountered such a formidable individual.