Chapter Eighty-Three: "The Sky"

"Seventh Brother, have you noticed that His Majesty the King seems... more powerful and imposing lately?" Walking behind Mo Fangyuan, the field army soldier Fang Buwu could distinctly sense that Mo Fangyuan's entire bearing had grown extraordinary.

If Mo Fangyuan once appeared to them as warm and approachable, like sunlight bringing hope, then now he was still warm and approachable, but like the scorching summer sun, bestowing courage and strength.

"That's nothing! His Majesty is a miraculous presence—he must have gained some new insight and become even stronger!" A young soldier nearby spoke carelessly, clearly a devoted admirer of Mo Fangyuan, whose changes only deepened his worship.

Such formidable aura—only a king with true power could possess it! In this young soldier's eyes, even if Mo Fangyuan killed a respected elder, he would believe His Majesty must have his own unspeakable reasons. How could anyone criticize the King? He is so heroic; surely there is some other cause behind any act of violence!

There were countless people like this young soldier in the Square Kingdom. It could be said with certainty: in the Square Kingdom, Mo Fangyuan had been utterly sanctified by the people. He was the symbol of perfection, the idol of the entire nation!

"Yes, that's right! It's only natural for such a great king as His Majesty to grow stronger!" Fang Buwu didn't dwell further on the matter.

Mo Fangyuan paid no mind to the whispered conversations behind him. He was not the sort to eavesdrop on others' private talk like a pervert. Male, interested in women—understand?

As the model for all Square folk, Mo Fangyuan set an example, safeguarding people's legitimate rights. Monsters did not count!

The sound of rushing water accompanied their march, guiding them forward. After crossing three small hills along the stream, the warriors of the Square Kingdom were about to reach the first destination of their journey.

"The terrain here is excellent!" From afar, the small valley ahead resembled an indomitable giant, standing firm over the land, endlessly blocking the monsters' invasion...

"And there's a large lake here... a little modification, and it could become a moat to fend off monster attacks." The soul of the architect within Mo Fangyuan stirred restlessly.

The little valley intercepted several rivers of varying sizes, all converging here. Over the years, their accumulation had formed a shimmering lake. Even now, in the winter year, the lake remained clear and beautiful.

"If not for monsters, this would truly be a paradise—a perfect place for retirement... damn those monsters!"

He reached into the lake, feeling the cool water, and couldn't help but resent the monsters even more.

"Maintain formation, advance!" Shaking off the droplets from his hand, the group skirted the lake and moved toward the valley.

Crunch, crunch, crunch—their boots pressed into the snowy ground, making sharp sounds. Nature's power was immense; every action, whether good or bad, bore enormous impact on its living creatures. Even this paradise could not escape being sealed by heavy snow.

The entire valley was buried beneath thick snow, obscuring the path ahead.

"There must be a road here, or how would the people inside get out?" Mo Fangyuan gazed at the snowbound valley, but saw no route leading up.

"That can't be right..."

"They probably use fishing rods to fly up!" blurted a younger soldier, instinctively. In his mind, only a fishing rod could traverse such terrain.

"Haha! That magical fishing rod is a unique battle tactic of our great king! Only the powerful Square Kingdom possesses it! No other village does!" A soldier nicknamed Old Ma mocked the boy's ignorance and explained.

"Fishing rod tactics are exclusive to the Square Kingdom!"

"It's thanks to the fishing rod tactic that we aren't slaughtered by monsters!" Old Ma declared firmly.

"You don't know—His Majesty is truly fierce. You've heard of the zombie giant, right?"

"When His Majesty fought the zombie giant, it was intense—darkened skies, collapsing mountains..."

Another soldier began boasting, this time of Mo Fangyuan's exploits.

With Old Ma's explanation and the 'mythical' feats recounted, everyone's respect for Mo Fangyuan only grew.

"Your Majesty, we haven't found a path into the valley, but we did discover signs of human activity!" The scout knelt on one knee, eyes fervent, reporting to Mo Fangyuan.

His words made it clear: people lived here, and not only survived, but had the means to venture out.

Mo Fangyuan stroked his smooth chin and pondered quietly.

"Use fishing rods. Prepare to land forcibly!"

He issued the order. They did not have the luxury to wait outside for the Square folk within to emerge—the risks were too great. Entering directly was best.

"Let’s hope they’re not too angry!"

Mo Fangyuan felt deeply apologetic for barging into their territory without permission, but the order still stood. This was not their only destination; they could not afford much delay.

Switching his secondary weapon to the fishing rod, Mo Fangyuan aimed for a protruding rock in the valley, untouched by snow.

"Hook!"

The fishing line landed perfectly in a crevice of the stone wall. After more than a year of practice, Mo Fangyuan's hooking skills had advanced tremendously; errors were rare now.

"Pull!"

Feeling the rod secure, Mo Fangyuan relaxed his body and let himself be drawn up by the fishing rod, flying onto the stone wall. The entire process took no more than seven seconds—swift and seamless.

Of course, there were those even more agile than Mo Fangyuan. Xiao Li’s hooking technique surpassed his own, never taking more than five seconds, nimble as a wildcat.

"The Square Kingdom truly produces talent; its rise is only a matter of time!" Mo Fangyuan, unconcerned with his own status, praised Xiao Li’s skill and encouraged him to strive further, contributing to the Square folk’s ascent.

"Cold winds sweep the heights, shadows dance in the clear air—how unlike the world below..." Standing atop the valley, Mo Fangyuan drew a breath of icy air, feeling the temperature drop even lower.

The Square World may be a place where Newton would smash his coffin lid in disbelief, but in some respects, it still followed the sciences of his previous life.

The higher from the ground, the colder it gets; above ten thousand blocks, no man can tread; life is forfeited, regardless of the season—‘The Sky.’

‘The Sky’ was a great ancient book written by the ancestors of the Square folk, its author now lost to history. Yet there was no denying the author was a true genius.

Many of its theories had been confirmed over the ages, and its influence among the Square folk rivaled that of ‘The Guardians,’ ‘The Enchantment Book,’ ‘The Redstone Hypothesis,’ ‘Genesis,’ and ‘The Monster Compendium’—the five ‘bibles.’

Mo Fangyuan believed there was a universe and outer space in the Square World; otherwise, how could life be lost above ten thousand blocks? Could there be ‘the void’ above?

But if there truly were a universe, then was the planet he lived on round or square?

An unsolved mystery of the world!

"Ah, why am I worrying about all this? If the sky falls, there’s always someone taller to hold it up!"

For now, the most important thing was the war against monsters; those matters above were beyond his reach.