Chapter Fifty-Four: The Empire of the Swinefolk

There exists a myth in the depths of Hell.

It is said that in the distant past, two creators emerged: the First Creator and the God of White Light. With their immense power, they together fashioned the Block World.

They began by creating the earth and the sky. Then they made the sun and moon, suspended above and below the Block World. Mountains and rivers were brought forth, breathing new life into the world. They gave rise to all living things…

Yet, for reasons unknown, they disagreed on how the Block World should be governed. Their differences grew, and ultimately, outside the Block World in the void, the two gods clashed violently.

Their powers were so great that, with a mere gesture, they could destroy heavens and earth. The newly formed, fragile Block World could not withstand their battle; the aftermath shattered it into countless pieces.

At last, the creators were forced to cease their conflict. For the sake of the Block World, the First Creator and the God of White Light abandoned their grievances and worked together to mend the broken world.

But the devastation was so severe, the fragments so numerous, that they could only repair most of the shattered realm. This restored place became known as the Main World. The remaining fragments formed worlds of different dimensions — Hell is said to be one of them.

Under the influence of the creators’ power, these dimensional worlds clustered around the Main World, becoming part of the Block World system. Thus came the origin of Hell.

Each dimension is independent, yet connected to the Main World. Their methods of passage differ; according to the treatise On Worlds, most involve portals that allow travel between realms and dimensions.

In the 197th year of the Pigmen Empire, a day of national celebration arrived. After generations of relentless research, pigmen scientists achieved a breakthrough in steam technology, ushering in a new era. They called it the Age of Steam.

With the powerful advances of the steam era — and possessing the technology for the production and control of zombie pigmen as well as the manufacture of steam-powered armor — the Pigmen Empire, in just seven years, defeated the former overlords of Hell, the Fortress faction, and became the mightiest force in Hell.

Yet the pigmen did not stop there; their ambitions reached far beyond. Their sights were set outside Hell, upon the Main World described upon the Sky-reaching Monument.

That monument spoke of a rich and beautiful world: legendary trees grew upon the land, uncountable minerals lay beneath the earth… it was the very image of beauty.

According to the monument, to reach the Main World, one must craft a portal from obsidian, at least five blocks tall and four blocks wide.

Obsidian — the most precious treasure in Hell, a symbol of strength, endurance, perseverance, and eternity.

Every small fragment of obsidian required the sedimentation of a vast “Red Sea” over decades or centuries to form. Each time a fragment emerged, it would cause bloody turmoil in Hell, fought over by countless factions.

Nine small obsidian blocks were needed to forge one obsidian block, and nine fragments for each small block… The legendary Main World Portal required at least ten obsidian blocks.

Since ancient times, no faction had ever dared drain their hard-earned resources to build a portal for a mythic passage whose purpose was uncertain. If the obsidian portal proved useless, it would spell the destruction of the entire monster faction. No one could afford, nor dared, to gamble on such a risk.

Yet there are always exceptions. The mad nation known as the Pigmen Empire broke this stalemate. They exhausted all the resources they had plundered to construct this priceless gate.

Fortune favors the bold, and it proved true: the gate was indeed a portal to the Main World, and it opened!

That portal radiated with a purple glow, guiding the Pigmen Empire into the Main World.

The Main World was just as depicted upon the monument: vast and abundant. Even the tiniest portion of its resources allowed the Pigmen Empire to grow swiftly, their progress outpacing centuries of development in Hell.

But they were not content. They sought the conquest of the entire Main World, to become the truly greatest power in the Block World.

Thus, they began their campaign.

To them, only intelligent life posed a threat; other monsters were no danger. Blockmen, the most numerous intelligent beings in the Main World, must be destroyed for the pigmen to claim dominion.

Their observations revealed that Blockman civilization was still in a primitive, “barbaric era.” This was a prime opportunity — before their development, they could be annihilated in one stroke.

They planned to gather strength this year, and when the time was ripe, to destroy the seven strongest Blockman factions in the region. Aside from those seven, each with more than a thousand souls, the lesser factions were insignificant.

If Mo Fangyuan knew of this, he would surely laugh and say, “Isn’t this just Japan vowing to destroy its big brother, the economic powerhouse of America?”

The boundless resources of the Main World enabled the Pigmen Empire to mass-produce obsidian portals. Taking advantage of the fact that one stride in Hell equals fifty in the Main World, they built portals everywhere, using this mobility to scout and map the Main World… with remarkable results.

Those seven foolish human kingdoms had not even noticed the empire’s presence. All information was fully seized by the Pigmen Empire, including many small kingdoms and villages nearby.

Now, they need only wait to amass their strength before eliminating those Blockman factions in one blow.

“It’s my second year in this world, isn’t it…” Mo Fangyuan sat in his office, legs crossed, lost in reminiscence.

“There should be thirteen years left before the pigmen invasion…”

“At the current rate of the Block Kingdom’s development, when the Pigmen Empire begins its invasion, the Block Kingdom should be able to withstand them…”

“But mere resistance isn’t enough! The Block Kingdom must also partake in the battle for the empire’s legacy after its downfall!”

Knocking his wooden desk, Mo Fangyuan calculated feverishly in his mind.

“We must accelerate national development. When the summer years come, I’ll go see that vast city from the story…”

Mo Fangyuan had always been curious about the city depicted in the film — said to house tens of thousands. If such a city truly existed, why had the blockmen developed so poorly?

“There are many mysteries here that must be investigated…”

Mo Fangyuan clasped his hands and gazed into the air ahead.

If circumstances allowed, he would have sent someone north to that wondrous city right now.

“Knock, knock, knock!”

Someone was at the door.

“Your Majesty, we killed some strange monsters. They dropped gold and gold nuggets…”

With Mo Fangyuan’s permission, Yali entered, bowed respectfully, and got straight to the point.

“Monsters wearing golden armor? Dropping gold when killed? Not afraid of sunlight?”

Mo Fangyuan’s heart clenched, cold sweat breaking out. In the Block World, only one kind of creature drops gold… zombie pigmen.

“No way… can it be…”

“If I remember right, there should be more than ten years left. Why are beings from Hell appearing so soon?”

Mo Fangyuan’s expression grew grave.

“Yali, were there any survivors? Fine, then tell me the details about the monsters…”

“Survivors?”

Seeing Yali’s blank look, Mo Fangyuan suddenly understood.

Blockmen, when encountering monsters, always kill them instantly. Capturing a live specimen is impossible! Blockmen simply don’t believe monsters possess intelligence.