I Ascend to the Divine Throne through Arcane Means

Cardiff Kingdom, Southern Kada Pass,

Nestled within the embrace of the mountains, stands an ancient and mysterious pass, which seems like a miracle of natural and artificial intelligence combined, silently telling the tale of millennia of vicissitude. This pass is flanked by towering cliffs, like a guardian enduring the storms yet still unfaltering, quietly watching over this ancient land.

The ancient walls are built from massive stones, tightly fitted together, showcasing the superb craftsmanship and extraordinary wisdom of the ancient artisans. The walls are similarly engraved with the traces of time, entwined with moss and vines, cloaking this old structure in a layer of green attire.

However, beneath this veil of green, the weathered cracks can still be seen, bearing witness to countless baptisms of war, safeguarding the peace of this land and its people.

Kada Pass is located in the foothills of the Bren Mountain Range and was once the frontline of defense for Cardiff Kingdom against the tide of magical beasts in the mountain range long ago.

It was from here that, after many years of stalemate, Cardiff Kingdom gradually gathered strength, slowly advancing into the depths of the Bren Mountains, continuously establishing survival outposts and towns.

Many years have passed; this pass has not experienced war for a long time, and the scars on the walls are now only a remembrance of past wars.

But now, the Kada Pass, which originally became the demarcation line between the central and southern parts of Cardiff Kingdom, has been occupied by an elite army. The walls are filled with banners bearing the emblem of a giant bear, and well-armed soldiers patrol the walls with a murderous aura.

"Duke, you didn't need to come here."

A general in black full armor followed a majestic middle-aged man, saying respectfully:

"There is no movement on the kingdom's side; the Forest Deer Army is still a hundred miles away in the Amphiown Territory. I have arranged for rangers to keep an eye on their situation there."

"Mayer, I am reassured by you."

As the de facto announcer of the southern border of the kingdom, Duke Pa Ao excelled in both personal strength and strategic maneuvers.

Otherwise, he would not have controlled most of the nobles in the southern border, while the remaining ones were eliminated by him under various pretexts.

And now, having dispatched his most elite Fierce Bear Army to control the Kada Pass, what he intends to do is already unmistakably clear.

By occupying this place, he could peer into the whole Cardiff Kingdom to the north, looking for opportunities to march northward.

Even if there aren't opportunities, Duke Pa Ao can control the Kada Pass to resist Cardiff Kingdom's attacks.

Because of the special terrain of the Bren Mountain Range, the most suitable passage for armies to traverse is the Kada Pass. Duke Pa Ao can completely seize control here to dominate the entire southern border of the kingdom.

Of course, for the ambitious Duke Pa Ao, his goal is not just to rule the southern border, but to become His Majesty the King of Cardiff Kingdom.

The family of Duke Pa Ao is different from the other noble families of Cardiff Kingdom; they are among the few that came to this small world together with the Cardiff Royal Family.

Naturally, Duke Pa Ao also knows that Cardiff Kingdom is not the entirety of the world; beyond the small world lies the vaster Gaia World.

However, unlike the Cardiff Royal Family, the records of Duke Pa Ao's family have been missing many details over countless years, except for knowing that the World Gate leading to Gaia World is in Capital City of Dias; other related information has already vanished.

Duke Pa Ao doesn't care, as long as he defeats the Cardiff Royal Family and becomes the king of this country, all secrets will be within his grasp.

As for Her Majesty Queen Dalya, the most suitable role for her would be to become his queen.

Duke Pa Ao was talking with the generals of the Bear Army when he heard the shouts of soldiers not far away.

"Who goes there?"

"Stop immediately, or face the consequences!"

Upon hearing the warnings from the Fierce Bear Army soldiers, Duke Pa Ao grew curious too.

Now it was obvious that the entire pass was under the control of the Fierce Bear Army, a fact that had spread throughout the surrounding towns.

This is also why no merchant caravans or travelers come to Kada Pass.

How come there's someone else arriving here at this time?

With these thoughts in mind, Kada Pass walked to the edge of the wall, looking down.

Suddenly, he saw a figure appear abruptly on the road not far below, walking toward the Kada Pass.

Duke Pa Ao couldn't see the appearance of that figure clearly, but judging from the outfit, the person seemed to be an adventurer.

One person?

Duke Pa Ao felt puzzled, but soon his expression changed.

In his view, although the figure was advancing at a steady pace, neither rushed nor slow, the speed at which they moved was quite rapid, approaching the pass at the speed of a warrior's run.

A Transcendent Professional, and undoubtedly a strong one!

Soon, Duke Pa Ao could see the features of that figure clearly.

To Duke Pa Ao's surprise, the figure was not one of the notable strong individuals from Cardiff Kingdom he knew, but instead looked like a young person.

What's going on?

Duke Pa Ao was somewhat puzzled, but the other seemed to ignore the soldiers' warnings at the pass, coming with ill intentions!

Soon, that figure halted about a hundred meters in front of Kada Pass, stopping there.

Duke Pa Ao looked at this young person before him with a somewhat serious expression.

He was quite confident in his strength, as a High-level Gold Ranger. There were not many in the entire kingdom who could match his strength, and many even considered him the strongest in Cardiff Kingdom.