NOVEL NEXT Chapter 715: True Chaos
Over the next 12 hours Leo was relentlessly pursued by righteous faction players, their numbers and determination seemingly endless.
His survival was a combination of sharp instincts, clever tactics, and sheer grit.
He evaded some groups by using [Vanish] and smoke bombs, disoriented others with quick, calculated ambushes, and deftly circled around larger patrols to stay ahead of his pursuers.
However, despite his best efforts, fatigue had begun to take its toll on his body.
The castle fight had left him battered, and with his supply of health and stamina potions depleted, he was out of quick fixes for his degrading physical condition.
Towards the end of the gaming day, when the righteous faction players were to log out once more, the situation degraded for him to the point where every movement felt labored, his muscles screaming with each step as he pushed forward toward the safety of rebel-controlled territory.
But the rebel zone was still a day's journey away, and the weight of exhaustion was becoming impossible to ignore.
"I'll have to take a few hours of rest…. I can't continue like this anymore" Leo muttered to himself near the end, as although the night was the best time for him to cover lots of ground when he had no threats chasing him, tonight he was forced to take rest, atleast until a majority of his stamina bar recovered.
Leo calculated this to be a necessary sacrifice, as he understood that without resting today, he was sure to fall prey tomorrow.
Thankfully though, while Leo struggled, the righteous faction players fared no better.
The deaths of the Emperor and the North Duke spread like wildfire across the empire, throwing the entire righteous faction into disarray.
Soldiers and players alike were debilitated by the stat debuffs, their morale shattered as chaos engulfed the once-organized faction.
Even with their numbers, their ability to organize an effective pursuit seemed to be faltering as problems erose for them in every corner.
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The death of the Emperor and his entire bloodline sent shockwaves through the streets of StrongHaven City, the heart of the Unity Empire.
News spread faster than wildfire, whispered in hushed tones at first but soon shouted from rooftops as panic began to set in around the evening following the emperor's death.
"The Emperor is dead! The rebels sent their best—just one man—and he slaughtered them all!" cried a baker, abandoning his stall as customers fled without paying.
In the crowded streets, merchants hastily packed their wares, leaving goods and coins scattered on the cobblestones.
Children clung to their mothers, crying amidst the chaos, while nobles in gilded carriages shouted orders to their drivers, desperate to escape the chaotic city that could very well soon turn into a failed state.
All around, the once-proud capital devolved into a chaotic choir of despair, as rumors spread like poison, each more exaggerated than the last.
"I heard 'TheBoss' didn't just kill the Emperor—he killed the Duke of the North too!"
"They say he used magic to turn invisible and walk straight into the throne room!"
"Invisible? No, no. I heard he killed 5000 guards on his way in and walked out without a scratch!"
The city's heart, its bustling marketplace, lay in shambles. Stalls overturned, their goods spilling into the streets as the only sounds that could be heard were the shouts of a frightened populace.
Amidst this chaos, City guards patrolled the streets in disarray, their usual discipline broken.
Some argued over who should take command, while others shouted at panicking citizens to stay indoors.
"Calm yourselves! Order will be restored!" one guard shouted, his voice cracking under the weight of his own uncertainty.
But the citizens were far from calm. Rocks and debris were hurled at soldiers in misplaced anger.
While one group of townsfolk surrounded a patrol, shouting accusations of incompetence:
"You couldn't even protect the Emperor! How are we supposed to trust you with our lives?"
The guards raised their shields, unsure whether to retreat or respond as the tension escalated with every second, threatening to erupt into violence.
******* Find your next read at empire
(In the Noble Quarter)
Behind gilded gates of the noble community in StrongHaven, nobles huddled in their manors, whispering among themselves.
"This must be rebel propaganda," one baron muttered, pacing the length of his lavish hall.
"No one man could breach the palace walls, let alone kill the Emperor." he said, as he refused to beleive the rumors that were floating around, however, the others around him seemed less optimistic.
"He's dead… such rumours would be quelled by now if he wasn't…" said a viscount who looked like he had lost his soul.
"If the Emperor is truly dead, what stops the rebels from marching here next?" another noblewoman hissed, her knuckles white as she clutched her pearls.
In the end, a decision was made to send emissaries to the remaining loyal generals to prepare a convoy to escape the city, but the nobles argued over who should go, none willing to leave the safety of their manors.
The name 'TheBoss' was on every tongue, whispered in fear and awe alike.
"One man versus an empire… Is he even human?"
"The rebels will win now. With 'TheBoss' on their side, there's no stopping them."
*********
(Meanwhile in the slums)
As the city unraveled, banners bearing the Emperor's crest were torn down by angry citizens in the slims, replaced with crude symbols of rebellion and photos of 'TheBoss' that were once placed there during his time at the grand tournament.
The downtrodden, who were already discontent with the status quo, saw this as an opportunity for change and decided to support the rebel leader wholeheartedly as with the Emperor dead, they became the first to embrace the change.
The golden age of the Unity Empire seemed to crumble in real time, its foundation shaking beneath the weight of a single assassin's blade.
The chaos was far from over, but one truth echoed through the streets…. That StrongHaven would never be the same again, now that the Evanus bloodline was at an end.