Chapter 386

Chapter 386

Naturally, this meeting was not going to conclude quickly.

It covered various aspects, including the military strategies of both sides, the number of legions to be deployed, when to engage in battle and when to withdraw, and the exchange of materials and information.

In short, the goal was to completely dismantle an orc empire.

This was not a task that could be accomplished in just a few days; it was a war that might continue for many years without interruption.

So far, the orc Empire had detected the massive movements of the Elven Legion, and their 18 military fortresses had been reinforcing themselves over the past few days. Each fortress now housed at least 80000 orcs, mostly Intermediate Level orcs, along with numerous high-level and Grandmaster orcs. There were even ogres, Beast, and some magic-controlled frost giants and Behemoths.

In other words, the Dawn Mercenary Regiment's vanguard was just the tip of the iceberg, and no one expected William to capture any of the military fortresses. Their primary objective was to deplete the orc Empire's military supplies.

…

On the same snowy night, further north within the orc Empire, lay an endless expanse of snow-covered mountains. Dark and sturdy orc cities dotted the snowy peaks.

At this moment, these cities were emitting black smoke, occasionally punctuated by flames leaping into the night sky. These orc cities served as massive logistical bases for the war effort.

In front of these cities, in addition to the 18 military fortresses, there stood a towering ice and snow Great Wall, stretching along the mountains and encircling the snowy expanse behind it in a 1800–kilometer ring.

This Great Wall was known as the Black Great Wall because it had been built by the demon clan during the Dark Invasion of the second era. It was the first line of defense against the gods' continent. The demon clan had constructed steel cities in this desolate region, and the Black Great Wall served as both defense and offense, a structure that had endured until now.

However, it was here that the demon clan had raised the banner of war against the gods' masters.

Therefore, the three Elves' plan to dismantle the current orc Empire held a sense of revenge, as countless years ago, the initial Dark Invasion had not posed a threat to the Elves. They had lived within the gods' continent, surrounded by the World Tree and the endless green ocean, well-protected. However, the Dark Invasion had posed a threat to humans and the avian race, not the Elves.

The initial Dark Invasion had never ventured into such a desolate place as the far north, and the Elves had remained indifferent to the unfolding events.

The problems arising from the Dark Invasion had been more of a threat to humans and the avian race than to the Elves. At that time, the Elves had been too powerful, residing in the middle of the gods' continent, and the Dark Invasion had not concerned them.

As the masters of the second era, the Elves, while not wanting to engage with the demon clan, had understood that it was an era marked by changing masters on the continent.

But they had not engaged with the demons; instead, they had chosen to preserve their strength and let the avian race and humans bear the brunt of the Dark Invasion.

Unfortunately, both humans and the avian race had been uncooperative, retreating whenever the demons attacked. They had given up their homes, territories, resources, and mineral veins, allowing the demon clan to seize everything.

The Elves' plan had backfired, and they had inadvertently allowed the Dark Invasion to reach the very center of the gods' continent, near the edge of the avian race's forest.

At that time, the Elves had permitted the expansion of the Dark Invasion, resulting in four demon caves and the increasing presence of dark creatures. The situation had spiraled beyond their control.

Consequently, under the blessing of the World Tree and the will of the Elven Lord, the Elves had emerged from their forest to actively confront the demon army. However, there had been too many dark creatures and demons, and the war had proven far more complex, intense, and costly than the Elves had initially anticipated.

The Dark Invasion had not been a challenge that the Elves could tackle on their own. It had required the cooperation of all intelligent races.

Unfortunately, it had been too late.

At that time, the Elves had fought on all fronts, with epics, legends, and Sages engaging the demons from every direction. However, even their own lesser brethren, the orcs, the lowest-ranking intelligent race on the gods' continent, had turned against them.

Unbeknownst to the Elves, ten demon clan Sages had ultimately shattered the World Tree, using suicidal self-explosions and other means. This had been a devastating blow, as the World Tree had been the Elves' greatest asset.

Their homeland and sacred land had been destroyed, causing fundamental changes for the Elves. They had been forced to confront the demons and unite with the avian race and humans to face the Dark Invasion together.

Twelve powerful Sages had emerged among the humans during this period, gradually leading humanity to become the masters of the third era.

Now, humans and Elves aimed to dismantle the orc Empire, which involved eliminating the 18 military fortresses and, most importantly, breaching the Black Great Wall.

In essence, breaking the Great Wall would allow them to conquer the snow-covered mountains, destroy the steel cities, and seize the abundant resources behind the mountains.

However, if breaking this ancient Black Great Wall, built during the second era, were so simple, it wouldn't be known as the most challenging obstacle on the Legendary continent.

Under the unspoken rule that Sages and legends were not permitted to massacre enemy soldiers, the Black Great Wall had been fortified with countless protective Spells. Even magic teachers' Forbidden Spells could only leave slight marks on it, and magic artillery could barely create holes.

As a result, the Black Great Wall was considered the most formidable barrier on the Legendary continent.

Now, on the Great Wall, there was a person every ten steps, an arrow tower every thirty steps, and a magic fort every hundred steps. The defenses were continuous and unending.

Meanwhile, an orc, clad in iron armor and covered

 in goose feathers to withstand the heavy snow, gazed at the 18 fortresses in the distance with brown eyes.

Beside him stood a member of the demon clan with bare arms, adorned with strange markings. This demon's physique was taller and more powerful, surpassing the orcs in physical prowess and other attributes. Like the orcs and Elves, the demon clan belonged to the world's top intelligent races, nearly free from major weaknesses.

Yet, despite their stature, this Legendary demon Professional held a deep respect for the orc before him. The orc was a true powerhouse, a Frozen Sword Sage.

He didn't possess the typical pale orc complexion or the robust physique found in some orcs. He was of shorter stature, with little black chest hair and thinning hair on his head, almost bald. His appearance was rather comical.

But his strength was undeniable.

He didn't have the usual orc blood or the robust orc body. He was short and almost hairless, making him look rather comical.

However, he possessed a formidable spirit and true strength.

This was him, at the end of the second era, stepping into the Sage and protecting the defeated orcs and demons, relying on the Black Great Wall, in this far northern region, to protect them all these years.

The Frozen Sword Sage.

In the Legendary continent, he was the sole Sage affiliated with the dark camp.

Gultai Frozen.

The king of the orc Empire and the peculiar-looking guy turned to face a demon clan member, his voice carrying a cold tone, "O'Gray, how long do you think it will take the Elves to capture the 18 fortresses outside?"

The Legendary demon contemplated for a moment and replied, "If they go all out, disregarding the cost, it may take less than half a year, or even just three months, to conquer them all. But if they are aiming to break through the Great Wall, I can't estimate how long that would take. It would surely result in heavy casualties."

Gultai chuckled, "I believe so too, but I know that The Blue Frost Empire is also involved in the war."

"Well," Oguley shook his fist and squinted, "if someone hadn't discovered the issue with Space Folding, causing the loss of all the legions of The Blue Frost Empire in the northern region, they wouldn't even have the chance to join the battle."

Gultai shook off the snow on his body and sneered, "I heard it was an Elf prince who uncovered the issue."

"Things are getting complicated," Oguley sighed.

In anticipation of the Elves' attack, certain entities from the dark world had already intervened and initiated the Space Folding issue in an attempt to further deplete the Elves' strength. Unfortunately, this mysterious occurrence, similar to a natural wonder, could only be activated, not accelerated. Even without the intervention of the Space Sage, the activated Space Folding would have occurred relatively quickly and wouldn't have attracted much attention.

However, an unexpected incident had occurred within the scheme devised by the Dark King himself.

Gultai had not expected an Elf prince to uncover the truth. He took a deep breath of the icy air and said in a solemn tone, "This war is inevitable. Whether The Blue Frost Empire's humans join or not, the orc Empire under our feet and everyone in our territory will do their best to inflict losses on the Elves and humans. But I hope you won't forget your promise."

This statement wasn't directed at Oguley but rather the next moment, when a Legendary demon Lord suddenly appeared.

He regarded the orc Sage with respect in his eyes but harbored disdain for the peculiar-looking guy. With a respectful smile, he stated, "Your Majesty, you've said that the Dark Invasion is only the beginning, and our demons will continue to cooperate with the orcs instead of these useless beings. When the Dark Invasion officially commences, the gods' continent will sooner or later fall into darkness. By then, the orcs will truly become the masters of the continent. After all, we dark creatures don't favor living in the sunlight. It's up to you, the orcs, to control the gods' continent."

Gultai nodded without displaying any emotion. He then suddenly asked, "Am I handsome?"

The Demon Lord found himself stunned, but quickly regained his composure and proudly proclaimed, "In the eyes of our kind, Your Majesty is the most handsome Orc I've ever seen!"

A resounding "Bang!"

A single punch.

The Legendary Demon Lord's head was gone!

The headless body swiftly froze.

Gultai's lightning-fast boxing speed and immense strength left the Legendary Demon Lord completely defenseless and unable to react.

Then,

He gently pushed down the frozen body.

Click.

The ice shattered.

The corpse disintegrated into countless crystal-clear snowflakes, drifting away on the wind.

Gultai raised an eyebrow. "Hypocrisy!"

"By the way, let's find a new emissary for the dark world. I intend to hear fewer lies!"

"Yes, the most handsome, powerful, and magnificent deity," Ogulet bowed his head and replied in a deep voice.

Gultai's lips curled slightly.

You're absolutely right.

As the most handsome deity among the gods, should he limit himself to the most handsome orcs?