Chapter 380 - Esteemed Guests of the Armor Civilization

Han Wu studied Lie Guang with a flicker of interest, then shook his head. “I know you hate him deeply, but he is still your father. The sin of killing him isn’t one you are meant to bear.”

He turned to Ban Tu. “Any last words?”

Ban Tu faced death with an unusual calm. In truth, he should have died a thousand years ago. For a millennium, he had hunted for a way to defeat the Divine Civilization, only to meet failure at every turn.

A bitter chuckle escaped him as he recalled the futility of his efforts. Then he looked at his son one final time. At least, he had produced an exceptional child.

“Thank you,” he said.

Han Wu blinked in confusion before realization dawned. Ban Tu was grateful that Han Wu had denied Lie Guang’s request. In that sense, this act preserved a fragment of his dignity as a father.

Han Wu sighed and used his Divine Authority on Ban Tu. The combined forces of Death, Destruction, Darkness, and War struck Ban Tu and ended his life. Simultaneously, Han Wu used his Divine Authority to strip the Will of the Monster Armor Civilization from Ban Tu’s body.

Han Wu’s gaze fell on the tiny monster clawing at him, and an idea struck. Though the Armor Civilization and the Monster Armor Civilization were distinct, their core mechanisms of power likely shared the same principles. He was already close to deciphering the secrets of the Profound Armor Pillar when the Will of the Armor Civilization warned him to stop.

What if he focused on the Monster Armor Civilization instead and attempted to replicate its methods? Its principles mirrored those of the Armor Civilization, giving him a promising chance of success. He could not predict the outcome, yet his curiosity was piqued. As such, he carefully stored the Will of the Monster Armor Civilization and resolved to experiment with it once he returned.

With Ban Tu dead, the remaining members of the Monster Armor Association lost all resolve and surrendered. Seeing how powerful some of them were, Han Wu chose not to kill them—at least for now. Instead, he imprisoned them and planned to hand them over to Xu Hai for further handling.

They had finally defeated the Monster Armor Association, but the Armor Civilization had paid a terrible price. Only a handful of strong individuals remained, with Lie Guang as their sole God. Eight Demigods and 32,000 regular Armor Warriors survived, along with just 110 million civilians.

These numbers reflected the unofficial tally after the war between the two civilizations. The surviving population could not generate enough Faith Points to sustain the Will of the Armor Civilization. If this continued, the Will would starve.

Han Wu was unwilling to see the civilization perish, especially given its potential, and decided to intervene. He planned to support the Will of the Armor Civilization by leaving some of his units behind as permanent residents. Their presence would provide a steady flow of Faith Points, allowing the Will to survive.

He shared his plan with the Will of the Armor Civilization, which agreed and expressed deep gratitude. In recognition of their contribution, the Will declared that from that day forward, the three were esteemed guests, free to establish Eternal Gates and summon unlimited units.

In a sense, this place had become their personal garden. They could nurture their units freely within the Armor Civilization, unbound by previous restrictions. Though small, this place could produce Gods, making it immensely valuable.

Han Wu had never expected that the Will of the Armor Civilization would grant him something so precious simply because of a decision he had made on a whim. It was an extraordinary bargain.

Over the next two months, the trio busied themselves with rebuilding the place. They captured the remaining monsters and sent them to prison, where Xu Hai would determine their fate. In an era when so few remained, each Armor Warrior represented a significant asset. After all, they could be used to defend a city or produce offspring to repopulate the Armor Civilization.

Han Wu also purchased several hundred Fertility Cards and activated them within the Armor Civilization. He could already foresee that, under the cards’ influence, every family would have at least five children within ten years.

After addressing the aftermath of the war, Han Wu returned to the Divine Civilization with Qin Shuang and Jing Jing. Xu Hai had already used his authority to learn what the three had accomplished in the Armor Civilization, so no formal report was necessary.

Xu Hai was visibly pleased. “You have not only defeated the Monster Armor Civilization but also eradicated all traces of its existence within the Armor Civilization. Well done.”

Han Wu’s eyes gleamed. “Professor Xu, if you think we did well, shouldn’t the reward come soon?”

Xu Hai laughed and mock-scolded him, “I’m a Major God. Do you really think I would value the Sacred Object meant for you that much?”

He handed Han Wu a list of Rank 5 and 6 Sacred Objects from his personal vault and allowed him to choose freely.

Qin Shuang and Jing Jing also received rewards from Su Lan. The latter was particularly fond of Jing Jing and even wrote a recommendation for her to join the Darkness faction.

Qin Shuang claimed her reward and sought out Saliya to ascend into a God. She lacked an Exquisite Skill Gem and could not bear to wait another month. Fortunately, she possessed a High-Grade Skill Gem, which she used to ascend. By sheer luck, she awakened a Divine Power strong enough to rank among the top-tier Divine Powers, perfectly suited to her abilities. In hindsight, she had not needed to expend the High-Grade Skill Gem at all.

Adjusting to her new rank required time, so Qin Shuang could not accompany Han Wu to the various civilizations just yet.

Han Wu understood her situation and had already planned to remain in place for the time being. He had gained substantial resources from the Armor Civilization and intended to use them to strengthen his army. With that in mind, he returned to his divine realm and focused on researching how to merge the Will of the Monster Armor Civilization with the Profound Armor Pillar.

The process took thirty realm years to complete. During that time, he had expended vast amounts of Divine Points and Divine Essence to accelerate the merging. The Will of the Monster Armor Civilization had resisted every step, like a wild beast refusing to be tamed. Han Wu had spent years subduing it before finally guiding it to merge with the Profound Armor Pillar, ultimately integrating it into his divine realm.