Chapter 1327 - 568: Chaos Wasteland (Part 2)

Chapter 1327: Chapter 568: Chaos Wasteland (Part 2)

And at this moment, a traveler was slowly advancing on the Chaos Wasteland. Behind him followed a force of over two hundred Chaos Heavy Cavalry, each clad in immensely thick black Chaos Full-Body Plate Armor, riding nightmare-like Chaos Warhorses. They were silent, not uttering a word, even their praises to the Chaos Four Gods were expressions of silence.

The traveler wore a set of full-body Chaos Armor, with a gigantic cloak made from human skin and Chaos Evil Beast fur draped over his shoulders. Beneath him was a massive Demon Warhorse, its immortal body composed of sharp horns and teeth, bony plates, and corroded steel armor, its eyes aflame with the Fire of Chaos.

"Not here either." Leading his followers across the Chaos Wasteland, the traveler strolled casually. They swept through, defeating any enemies daring to oppose them. Yet now, the traveler merely issued a calm ultimatum: surrender or die.

The traveler and his followers had roamed these lands for over a hundred years.

"Not here either." The traveler repeated the phrase.

His followers stayed close behind him, uttering not a word, simply awaiting his commands. Regardless of his goals, they vowed to follow him forever.

They firmly believed that only he could accomplish the sacred and grand mission.

That was the ultimate goal of the True God.

The traveler’s eyes shone a bizarre bright red, appearing eyeless, with only the Fire of Chaos burning within them, containing nothing but hatred.

Pure hatred.

This hate required no reason, no excuses, no mercy, and it burned endlessly in the traveler’s chest day and night.

Though his face was hidden beneath a helmet and unseen, his followers could sense the disdain and loathing for the mortal world in his tone,

Yet paradoxically, the traveler remained calm, extremely calm. On one hand, he hated unto madness, but on the other, he was incredibly composed. Despite his loathing for all things, his anger never controlled his logic.

For only the weak are ruled by fury, whereas he controlled the rage.

He had long chosen a clear and broad path for his journey of seeking.

Over a hundred years had passed, and his quest neared its end, yet this very conclusion puzzled him. The traveler had wandered the Chaos Wasteland for over twenty years, yet he still failed to find any traces of that thing.

"Bilak? Or Kurgan?" the traveler whispered.

He stood pondering for a moment before raising his head.

"Kurgan!"

"Yes!" A group of Chaos Knights tugged at their reins, galloping Chaos Warhorses submitting to their will, thus following the traveler toward an unseen horizon.

A month later, on the Kurgan Steppe.

The traveler gazed upon the boundless yellowing steppe, under an unpredictably gloomy sky, as a dreadful Wind of Chaos blew across this famous super grassland of the Old World.

The traveler sought to recall the history of Kurgan from his knowledge.

The Kurgan Steppe once was a lush, blue-sky-and-white-cloud pasture land. When the Elf Empire was colonizing the Old World, some humans settled in Tiriel, Estalia, and where the current empire stands, accepting vassalage under the Elf Empire and establishing an ancient Human Wizard Empire.

But some humans refused to be vassals to the elves. They continued their journey northward, until establishing their own tribes near Norsca and the Northern Grasslands, living off fishing and hunting. They were once kind, humble, diligent, and honest.

Until Chaos descended.

Corruption happens gradually and quietly. These human nomads were slowly eroded by Chaos, their bodies underwent mutations, their minds twisted, and the Dark Gods began to slowly corrupt and enslave the thoughts of the northern human tribes. Those who did not submit to the Dark Deities fled south, like the Lady Kislev and the Ugoer people, who themselves were tribes from the eastern steppes. Those who remained eventually became more and more like a bunch of madmen, abandoning the benefits of civilization, and turning into devotees of Chaos.

Ultimately, under the gathering eyes of the masses, an unfathomably great name emerged from the distant and cold Xixuya.

He was the "World Whip" Emperor Kurgan.

His history predates the ancient Empires of Zhendan and Charlemagne. When this infant was born in the deserted land of Xixuya, the tribe’s wizard made a prophecy that this child would experience all joys and all pains.

As time passed, the child grew into a powerful rider and became the leader of his tribe. Emperor Kurgan had an endless thirst for the power and might to dominate the steppe and its people — he prayed to the winds from the north, south, west, and east, to the earth, sky, and rain, to daylight and the sun, night and the moon... To this end, he raided countless slaves and spoils to sacrifice to all spirits and gods. Emperor Kurgan was powerful but also intelligent, understanding deeply that the Dark Gods at the farthest north were the most powerful. Thus, to make a pact with the Chaos Gods, he abandoned his original belief in the Ever-Living Heaven. Emperor Kurgan vowed that he and the race he commanded would dutifully serve the Dark God and never waver.

The Chaos Four Gods responded to his prayers. The Evil God granted him endless power, thus Emperor Kurgan unified the entire Northern Grasslands and Chaos Wasteland, establishing the Kurgan Empire, a warlike realm composed of ferocious plunderers, agile cavalry, roaring beasts, and wild mages.

At its peak, the Kurgan Empire stretched eastward from the World’s Roof Mountain Range, south to the Dark Realm, north to the Chaos Wasteland, and west to the Northern Four Islands of Nippon, several times larger than the current empire. All warring tribes lay prostrate at his feet, offering tribute in peacetime, sending troops in wartime.

However, the blessings of the Evil God were not without cost. Gradually, the unending victories and wars of Emperor Kurgan bored and irritated the Chaos Four Gods. Once Emperor Kurgan had savored all the pleasures of the mortal world, they decided it was time to demand their due for his blessings and to bestow upon him endless suffering.

Thus, merely a few years after establishing the Kurgan Empire, the will of the Chaos Four Gods descended upon the world. They ignored the countless spoils, sacrifices, and glorious offerings of Emperor Kurgan, cruelly taking away what he treasured most — his only four sons were taken by the Chaos Four Gods, and once they took away his four sons, the Chaos Four Gods fell silent and never again responded to his prayers.

Emperor Kurgan could only accept the "gifts" of the Chaos Four Gods with tears, as this was the price of gaining power. Despite losing his heirs, the Emperor remained powerful. However, he could no longer prevent the internal power struggles over the succession within the Empire. Thus, a once unparalleled empire crumbled amidst infighting and decay after its last war, and Emperor Kurgan fell in battle. The Kurgan Empire disintegrated, never to be again.

Later, countless tribes rose on the Kurgan Steppe, with many Khans and Chiefs claiming themselves as Emperor Kurgan’s sons and rightful heirs.

Perhaps what he sought was on the Kurgan Steppe? The traveler rode his Demon Warhorse across the endless, yellowed steppe, pondering carefully. Maybe there was a coronation by the True God for Emperor Kurgan at the time?

While contemplating how to find traces of the thing he was searching for, the traveler and his followers found themselves surrounded by a band of Kurgan Riders.

"Outsider!" The leading Kurgan Rider was enormously tall, at least two meters and minimalist muscled, shouting in a thickly accented Kurgan dialect: "You have two choices!"

"I am searching for the last treasure," the traveler replied remarkably: "Perhaps your Khan can provide an answer? Who is your Khan?"

"Our Khan?!" The Kurgan rider shouted proudly.

"Listen well to his name, outsider!"

"He is our great King of Maggot! Master of Gluttony! The true heir of Emperor Kurgan!"

"He is Tamu Khan!"