701-707

Chapter 701: War Against Fate (X)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The soldiers on the city walls were stunned.

Even though they should have also launched their attacks while coordinating with their overlord and others to eliminate the Undead Creatures, most of them stood and stared blankly with widened eyes at the middle of the vortex—and that little girl.

"Heyaaaah!"

Mini Bubble Gum swung out her fist and struck an Abomination in its stomach. Even though she wasn't even half as tall as it was and seemed like a kid confronting an adult, the Abomination instantly split into two from the middle. The massive creature that didn't receive any damage from the countless magic arrows was instantly ripped apart like a low-quality ham sausage. At the same time, another Abomination rushed over from behind her with deep growls. It brandished its gigantic hatchet across the night sky and struck out a string of sparks after colliding on a solid surface. Then, Mini Bubble Gum turned around, stomped her foot on its body, which sent it flying and crashing into the Death Knights that couldn't escape in time.

"Oh my goodness..."

Not only the soldiers, but even Marlene, Lize, and the others also felt shivers down their spine. Even though they had received Mini Bubble Gum's guidance in the past, this was the first time that they witnessed her merciless attacks. At this moment, everyone finally understood how fortunate they were that they had survived up until this point without any injuries. If Mini Bubble Gum were to show such enthusiasm during the training sessions, perhaps they would have turned into corpses back then. Lize lowered her head and looked at her hands.

"Can I do that too?"

"Miss Heart, this..."

"I know."

Orchid Heart shrugged sleepily to Marlene's doubts.

"That's just Bubble's bad habit. Maybe I should have reminded her that we don't have much time for her to enjoy," Orchid Heart said and placed her right hand by her mouth. Then, her sharp whistles filled the sky.

"I know! Sister Heart!"

Mini Bubble Gum pouted in disdain. Then, she extended her hand and struck another Death Knight before her into the air. After glancing at the mess around her, she nodded in satisfaction.

"Not bad. Now, it's time to destroy the corpses. No matter what, I'm still a Cleric. Leave it to me!"

Mini Bubble Gum quickly expanded the light wings behind her and soared into the air. Then, in the blink of an eye, the light wings transformed into four silver lines that weaved into a complicated ritual, where Mini Bubble Gum floated above it in the middle and looked down at the Undead Army below her.

"I can never get enough of such superiority."

She shook her head and lamented. Then, she extended her arm and chanted.

Celia raised her sword and deflected the incoming bone spears. On the other side, Celestina lifted her hands before her and released countless thorn whips from her sleeves to form a solid barrier. Simon widened his eyes in horror. He had heard that this young overlord possessed strange abilities. But witnessing this scene personally still left him frightened. It was especially so after he spotted the pair of wings behind Celestina and Celia. He suspected if this was just an omen for the blurred vision of his old self, but he swore that he had never seen an Angel and Demon battling alongside each other.

But now...

Simon retreated immediately. He sensed the powerful aggression from the two young ladies. He had been gravely injured and couldn't possibly put up a fight against them. At this moment, he had made up his mind to protect his life and flee from this place. Shortly after, the surrounding Skeleton Guards rushed forward. Even though their heavy armor had slowed down their movements, their strength shouldn't be belittled.

"Hmph!"

Celia let out a snort. As a Battle Angel, she had no lack of experiences in dealing with Undead Creatures and knew what she should do. She sulked and laid her sword before her with both hands clutching to the sword hilt. At this moment, one of the Skeleton Guards struck its blade down.

Clang!

The blades clashed and let out a deep sound of collision. Celia shook slightly and took a step forward swiftly. She slashed her sword sideways, hacked into the Skeleton Guard's body, and released holy powers that devoured it entirely.

"You lowly, shameful Undead Creatures even dare to stop me?!"

On the other side, Celestina was unwilling to fall behind. Even though she wore a dark, tight dress which restricted her movements like Celia's armor, she quickly proved that the Skeleton Guards were nothing more than worthless trash with her unique combat skills.

Shing!

Celestina released several pitch-black long whips with razor-sharp steel blades from her sleeves, which whistled across the air and sliced the Skeleton Guards into half. In an instant, several bodies, skulls, and limbs flew up high.

Oh my goodness!

Simon shivered at this ghastly sight. Just this move from Celestina was enough for him to sense their legendary powers... Damn it. Aren't they summoned by that young overlord? What kind of Human can summon beings in the Legendary Stage? Moreover, they're Angel and Demon...! Simon came to an abrupt halt, turned around, and lifted his right hand. Shortly after, a mass of ice-cold air erupted beneath his feet. Sharp ice thorns struck out in all directions like blooming flower petals with Simon in the middle.

Clink!

Rhode's swords clashed and slipped on the smooth, razor-sharp ice thorns. Simon opened his eyes wide and at this moment, he had given up all intentions to escape because he sharply sensed that the young man was the key in this situation! As long as I can kill him...

Simon lifted his right hand and pointed at Rhode. Then, he chanted a curse softly. The bloomed ice thorns around him instantly spun, expanded into a huge circle in the air, and pierced at Rhode!

On the other hand, Rhode's expression remain unchanged. He had already guessed that this would happen when he launched his attack. In all fairness, Simon had lost to him this time due to the lack of intelligence gathered. If he knew the true strength of Rhode's subordinates, perhaps he wouldn't have lost so terribly. But it was a pity that he wasn't aware. And on the battlefield, intelligence warfare was also a crucial segment.

Simon had no idea about Rhode at all.

"—!"

The criss-cross blade rays before Rhode weaved into a dense, huge net. The ice thorns that had struck out at him shattered and dispersed instantly. Simon hurriedly waved his arms in preparation to cast another magic spell. Then, at this moment, scarlet flames exploded.

The Hell Hound emerged out of nowhere. The blistering scarlet flames on its body melted the fluttering ice fragments in the air and turned them into droplets, which eventually evaporated. At the same time, the Hell Hound leaped into the air with its widened jaws!

"Siya!"

Simon finally couldn't keep his cool any longer. He let out a snarl and the pitch-black ring on his finger erupted in an unprecedented, glaring lightning flash as though an artillery shell had just been blasted. The dazzling beam struck the Hell Hound and blasted it into the mass of Skeleton Guards. But shortly after, a scorching flame pillar rushed into the sky in an ear-deafening explosion. Then, Simon witnessed several Skeleton Guards flying upward and getting completely devoured by the flames.

Ssss—!

Simon sucked in a deep breath of cold air.

It had been centuries since he had given up his life to become a Necromancer, but he had never seen such strange battle tactics and summoned creatures. If he didn't blast that self-exploding creature far away, perhaps he would have been dead by now! Simon gazed around him and realized that none of the Skeleton Guards existed. He looked into the distance and found all his 50,000 Undead Creatures enveloped in wild, sacred flames. Not only that, but he had also sensed unprecedented, intense holy powers from the enormous ritual hovering above him. Is everything the doing of that little girl?

This thought flashed in his head for a mere second. He didn't have much time to ponder this question anymore because three figures had struck toward him in the sound of the shattered ice thorns.

Celia clasped her sword with an unwavering expression and charged forward like a war chariot. Everything that obstructed her silver-whitish, sacred flames and holy white wings were shattered into filthy dust. On the other hand, Celestina had expanded her bat-like wings majestically and flew over nimbly. The chain sword in her hands spun and trembled non-stop before eventually transforming into a viper that slithered with its wide opened poisonous fangs.

"!!"

Simon took a step back hurriedly. He had no time to weigh the pros and cons of the situation anymore. He had just used up the only amulet and he wouldn't face any fortunate consequences no matter if he ended up in the hands of the Angel or Demon. But now, he only had one last chance!

He turned around and pounced at Rhode. The latter was obviously ready for this. The shadows before Rhode extended and countless, pitch-black tentacles fluttered to wrap Simon.

Unknown if it was due to Simon's desires to survive, he unleashed extraordinary strength. He dodged the incoming tentacles and darted forward. He was only two arms away from Rhode now.

Simon let out a grim laughter and extended his arms.

But at the next moment, Rhode pierced two swords into Simon's body.

"Wahahahaha!"

Simon wasn't feeling afraid or regretful. Instead, he was wild with joy. Rhode twitched his brows to Simon's peculiar behaviors because it was apparent that he had neglected some kind of trouble.

But Simon wouldn't allow Rhode to come up with a response.

A dense mass of dark energy spurted out from Simon's body and locked onto Rhode's swords and arms like fetters and handcuffs. At the same time, Simon aimed for Rhode's skull and struck out his hands.

"Master!"

"Hey!"

Celia and Celestina shrieked in horror. They might be quick, but Simon was one step ahead. The difference of this one step was the distance between heaven and earth. The two young ladies watched helplessly as Simon's shriveled, sharp fingertips struck out at Rhode's skull. The strength of Undead Creatures had nothing to do with their class as they weren't Humans. In fact, a Necromancer's strength wasn't anywhere weaker than a sturdy, muscular Swordsman. However, it was their skinny stature that made them look extremely weak.

But... such a misconception could be deadly at times.

And sometimes it wouldn't.

"..."

Simon's fingertips were just a few inches away from seizing Rhode's life. But, he couldn't move any farther.

"What... What did you do?!"

This was the first time that the eyes filled with spiritual flames of death emerged with absolute fear. The reason was simple. Simon couldn't control his body at all as though a powerful, unquestionable external force had snatched his soul.

Simon realized that there was something emanating a faint radiance from Rhode's collar.

"I know what you're thinking, Mr. Necromancer."

Rhode lifted his hand. The dark energy binding his arms shrunk and returned to Simon's body. Then, Simon noticed an azure ball in Rhode's hand which didn't exist before. Not only that, but it also trembled and pumped like a heart.

"You... You..."

"Don't worry, I won't kill you that easily."

Rhode toyed with the ball in his hand and sheathed his weapon. Simon stood on the spot like a puppet, but judging from his widely opened eyes and trembling voice, it was apparent that it wasn't due to Rhode's beauty that he was mesmerized and didn't leave instantly.

"You're still useful for us," Rhode said.

The beautiful, twinkling stars and round, silver moon hanging in the sky cracked in an instant with snowy radiance spilling through and shining even brighter as though responding to a calling. Shortly after, a storm arose again and everyone shut their eyes. When they opened their eyes, the boundless prairie and river had disappeared to nowhere and were replaced by the silent mountainous range and valleys. However, the remains of the Undead Army and traces of battles reminded them of the brutal war that had taken place.

"Everything seems to have ended... for now."

Rhode let out a sigh. He lifted his head and gazed into the horizon.

The sky was turning bright in the east.

Morning arrived.

Chapter 702: Prologue — The Country of Darkness

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The night sky was limitless.

The scarlet, round moon hung silently on the night sky above this nation of eternal night with no sunrises. Its reddish radiance emanated in the endless night of darkness.

Garcia stood on the platform and gazed at the scenery below him. The dark, mesmerizing cities—Drekoen, Eternal Night City, and Death Capital. They were the last palaces of all the dark and undead races. Unlike Casabianca of the Country of Light, Drekoen was constructed in the shape of a square, which had obviously set apart four regions that represented four families and the four largest races in the Country of Darkness. The four regions served the gigantic, pitch-black castle in the center—and its owner.

At this moment, this city was sleeping under the gentle moonlight. The corners of Garcia's lips twitched. This massive city could never be treated as luxurious. Even though there were also business negotiations and communications in this city, they couldn't be as lively as the human countries. To put it bluntly, judging by Garcia's views on this city as a Human, he saw this place as an exquisite, lifeless graveyard with countless tombstones and graves exuding a faint blue aura.

What a foolish and meaningless thought.

Garcia shook his head slightly and caressed his beard. At this moment, a voice sounded behind him.

"All ready, Sir."

"Got it."

Garcia instantly put up a stern expression. He turned around and entered the spacious room with large strides. Even though there were exquisite decorations set up in every corner of this well-decorated room, there wasn't a single piece of furniture. In the center of the spacious room, there was a mysterious, yet complicated ritual emanating with faint radiance. The ritual was laid out in the shape of a cross with empty circles at all four corners. Garcia stepped onto one of the four circles. Then, the entire ritual cross emanated a faint radiance and shortly after, three other indistinct, illusory silhouettes emerged above the other three circles. Even though Garcia couldn't see their facial features, he knew that it was the same for how others viewed him — This was the communication method for the four legendary generals. Unless they received orders, they would never gather at a single place. They had never appeared before anyone and always controlled everything in secret.

It's almost time...

Garcia let out a snort as he gazed at the three fuzzy figures. The war against the Light Mainland had begun, but the four legendary generals didn't launch all their attacks. Instead, as per usual, 'The Spirit Chaser' Balende and 'The Angel of Sorrow' Charlie were responsible for leading the battles, while 'The Blood Countess' Ashvril and 'The Conqueror' Garcia remained in the nation. According to plan, they should have overcome a large portion of the Light Mainland's territories and searched for further breakthroughs. However, Garcia knew that the situation wasn't that simple.

"Our operations have faced some problems."

'The Spirit Chaser' Balende said coldly. As usual, he decisively discarded the red tapes and got straight into the main topic.

Our operations in the Munn Kingdom have faced resistance, which caused the slowing of our progress. It seems that they are well-prepared for our raids. Our first wave of raid has almost failed completely. We need to regroup our troops and revise our strategies."

"How surprising."

A flirtatious, melodious voice sounded. Even without the need to look at her appearance, almost every man would fall into a delusion that they couldn't extricate themselves from. However, Garcia remained silent and gazed at the slender magical silhouette with narrowed eyes.

"We have predicted that the Munn Kingdom's defenses would be impressive. But, all the battle lines have crumpled? General Balende, you must be joking, right?"

Garcia shook his head slightly. As the only human race among the four legendary generals, he was much more capable than the other three in extracting intelligence from the human society. In fact, Garcia was sure that Balende wasn't exaggerating in his words. There would be a risk of losing all their troops if they didn't retreat immediately. Even though they had broken through the defenses in Sygram and Dragon Canyon, they failed to dominate the territories they had expected. Besides, their enemies had also smartly withdrawn from battle, which made it difficult for the Undead Army to kill the Humans and replenish their manpower on the spot. The situation in Silent Field was still acceptable. However, Garcia was clear that the Undead Army there had become a lonely army with Silent Field's geographical location. If they didn't come up with any solutions, they would surely be eliminated by the Battle Angel Army.

The situation in Paphield-Grenbell was even worse. According to the report that Garcia had received, not only did the enemies defeat Balende's first wave of army, but they had also destroyed the 'Sinister Death'. Even though the 'Sinister Death' was a Necromancer family with intermediate forces and wasn't regarded highly by the four legendary generals, they were considered powerful to the humans. It was unbelievable that this Necromancer family had been utterly destroyed.

"Everything is normal in the Country of Light."

Charlie was as reticent as ever as though speaking a few more words would kill him. But, the other three present understood what he meant.

Their attack on the Country of Light couldn't get anymore normal.

Initially, the Country of Light dispatched their troops to the border to put up a strong stance and disregarded the Country of Darkness entirely. The day before Charlie launched his attack, the Country of Light was still focusing their attention on dealing with the Light Dragon Soul and winning the trust from their people. This gave Charlie the chance to overwhelm the borders and invade all the way through. Not only that, but they had also accomplished their mission earlier than expected. However, due to the resistance from the Munn Kingdom, Charlie couldn't advance farther.

If the Country of Light was a wine bottle while the Country of Darkness' attack was like forcing water into the wine bottle opening, then Munn Kingdom would be the cork. Logically speaking, the water would gush into the wine bottle in the shortest time possible as soon as the cork was removed. But, if they were to find an opening in the bottleneck and pour water through, no one knew how much time it would take to fill the wine bottle.

Of course, another way was to break the bottleneck and pour all the water in. But, this way, Country of Darkness would inevitably enrage the Twin Dragons of Country of Law, which would be extremely dangerous. Not to mention that Elves and Dwarves were far more troublesome to handle compared to Humans and Angels, the Country of Law also had two Creator Dragon Souls. Back then, they had the number advantage during the Creation War. Now that the Country of Darkness had started a war with the Country of Light, they naturally would want to avoid stirring trouble with the Country of Law.

The Judgment & Ruling Twin Dragons were the ones who had emerged and ended the Creation War. Even though the Country of Darkness had the Dark Dragon's protection, the Judgment & Ruling Twin Dragons represented the final rules and judgment of Order. And, on this entire continent, order was everything.

"What does His Majesty think about it?"

Garcia shook his head and said.

"His Majesty didn't have any views on this. This is an issue that we, four legendary generals, should resolve."

Ashvril let out a crisp chuckle. However, Garcia didn't take it to heart as he knew that Ashvril was just an annoying troublemaker. Back then, this raid plan had been approved by the Dark Dragon. Now that the progress wasn't going well, the Dark Dragon would definitely pay attention to it. However, Garcia had to admit that Ashvril was right. This was a problem between the four legendary generals. If they couldn't even handle such a problem, wouldn't the tempted clowns who were eyeing their positions from below be jumping for joy?

"We should retreat and reevaluate the situation."

Garcia ignored Ashvril's words and suggested his own.

"General Charlie's army have reached their target and we can act according to plan. No matter what, His Majesty's prestige can protect our troops. Judging from the reactions of the Light Dragon, perhaps she can't do anything to resist His Majesty. The Dragon Soul protection naturally has its inertia, but the Light Dragon's current status is apparently not enough for her to recover lost ground. I suggest that we go steady and strike hard. Consolidate our battle lines first before launching another attack."

Garcia gazed to the figure at the side.

"Silent Field isn't a good choice for us. If it is possible, hand it over to others to defend."

"Oh."

Charlie responded, but no one knew if he had agreed to this suggestion.

"But this isn't our focus, General Charlie."

At this moment, the flirtatious voice let out some crisp chuckles as it spoke.

"Indeed. We recognize the strength of the Munn Kingdom. But this time, they actually performed so well against our raids. Shouldn't we consider the possibilities of internal personnel leaking our information? This is a serious problem. According to our intelligence report, no matter which territories on Munn Kingdom's battle lines, they are more or less prepared against our raids. General Garcia should be clearer in this than me. If we can't resolve this problem, how should we go about discussing about others?"

Garcia sulked slightly.

Indeed. This was their biggest problem to a certain extent.

Chapter 703: Nightfall (I)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Rhode let out a long sigh and tossed the letter on the table. Then, he lifted his head and looked at everyone before him.

It had been two days since the end of the battle. After annihilating the 'Sinister Death' and driving off the Undead Army, it appeared that there would be peaceful days for the time being. However, Rhode kept his guard on. He quickly engaged in an inquest on Simon and received first hand intelligence on the Undead Army.

Got to say, Simon was thoroughly pitiful. Even though he couldn't create a phylactery like the Liches to live for eternity, he also had some backup plans as a Necromancer. In a place full of mutual deception like the Country of Darkness, no one knew when they would die. Therefore, as the patriarch of the family, it would be too pathetic if he didn't have any means to 'restart' his life.

However, it was a legendary artifact in Rhode's possession that had defeated Simon. Rhode had gotten his hands on this artifact from the Duke Fiend's corpse, thanks to Marlene's lucky hand: [Spirit's Prisoner] could choose a target and extract its spirit. Even though, strictly speaking, Necromancers couldn't be considered alive and they were more like magical creatures that lived on spiritual energy, they still had spirits, after all. Moreover, Simon was also gravely injured and couldn't resist the binding of the [Spirit's Prisoner]. As a result, his spirit was instantly captured by Rhode and forced into the necklace.

Soul Cores for Necromancers were as though the phylacteries for Liches: the source of their presences. Necromancers and Liches were different. The latter used magical powers to engage in life and death transformations to turn themselves into Undead Creatures. However, Necromancers were mainly Undead Creatures with spellcasting talents. From this aspect, their Soul Cores were more important than the phylacteries, which could also be treated as the Necromancer's CPU. Whoever grasped it could grasp its presence. Therefore, as long as the Soul Core was in Rhode's hands, Simon wouldn't be able to hide any secrets and couldn't even lie...

Although Simon had limited knowledge as the patriarch of an intermediate family, Rhode managed to uncover a lot of useful information.

The Undead Army came in strong this time, led by 'Angel of Sorrow' Charlie and 'Spirit Chaser' Balende. The latter was responsible for the development toward the Munn Kingdom, while the former was in charge of the battle lines in the Country of Light. Frankly speaking, Rhode wasn't surprised at all when he heard this news. In fact, he knew that it was definitely Charlie's responsibility in conquering the Country of Light. This wasn't based on his knowledge as a player, but it was based on Charlie's past.

Many weren't aware about this, but Rhode knew that Charlie's identity wasn't only as one of the four legendary generals. He also had another identity. Previously, he was one of the three Archangels. Charlie spent more time being an Archangel than being one of the four legendary generals. Besides, he was loyal to the Light Dragon and made heroic contributions in the Creation War. It could also be said that most of the credit had to be given to Charlie for the vast land in the Light Mainland.

But everything changed after the battle ended.

Charlie was worried and resentful that the Light Dragon handed her authority over to the Humans. He had similar thoughts with the Dark Dragon that Humans were just a flock of sheep who had lost their way and needed a shepherd to guide them ahead. If not, they would surely become prey of the wolves.

Of course, Charlie's loyalty made him give up on his opinions and failed to convince the Light Dragon. He grew increasingly enraged as the Light Parliament flourished because he learned of their wild ambitions, as well as their arrogant and offensive views. But he could only watch on from the sidelines. No one had noticed the wrath burning underneath his facade.

As a result, the Light Parliament seized the authority and that was the day they established the Lighthouse of Liberty. Charlie gave up on his identity, abandoned the [Fury Blaze] that proved him as the Archangel, left the Country of Light, and joined the Country of Darkness. Perhaps due to the fact that the deeper the love, the deeper the hate, Charlie swore to make the Humans who had brazenly stained and snatched the Light Dragon's throne and position pay. They would exist as slaves of the undead nation and serve under a greater rule to complete his wish and revenge.

Back then, the players gossiped that the reason why Charlie had made such an irrational move was that he loved the Light Dragon Soul deeply. However, the Light Dragon Soul Heir was just a vessel, after all. Not to mention, no Dragon Soul Heirs would survive for long in that violent Creation War. As a result, the person whom he loved dearly left his side... And it was possible that this caused him to join the enemies in order to fulfill his wish in saving the nation.

Rhode felt that he understood Charlie rather well because he put himself into his shoes. After the Munn Kingdom was destroyed, he had the urge to join the Country of Darkness to eliminate the Country of Light. However, he dwindled this thought after realizing that players could rely on their strength to change everything. After all, from a certain perspective, the Country of Darkness was still his enemy.

Although Charlie was the strongest among the four legendary generals in terms of individual strength, Rhode wasn't concerned that he would attack the Munn Kingdom. This was because, from a certain perspective, the Munn Kingdom was still upholding the traditions of the Light Dragon, which meant that they were Charlie's ally to a certain extent. Besides, his relationship with Lydia had always been decent and attacking the Country of Light was much more fulfilling to him. This was why Rhode didn't believe that Charlie would be the one to attack the Munn Kingdom.

On the contrary, Rhode was more concerned about the remaining three legendary generals. None of them were easy to deal with and it was especially so for [Conqueror] Garcia. He was promoted to be "By the God" as a human. Back then, he didn't have any unique race and was only an ordinary human born into a slave family within the Country of Darkness. In fact, he was the only one on this continent who had advanced in rank as a human to be "By the God". None of the players or NPCs had ever achieved this, which went to show how terrifying he was. If Rhode had a choice, he would rather go into a 300-round battle with [Spirit Chaser] Balende or exchange flirting glances with [Blood Countess] Ashvril than to provoke this legendary fellow.

Apart from the two main, largest armies, the remaining smaller armies were troops from various powerful families within the Country of Darkness, which was similar to the human nobles' private soldiers. However, the troops were considered a type of official army for the Undeads. In fact, they were the main forces in this battle.

After Rhode received the news, he immediately sent the reports to Lydia. The information was extremely crucial in evaluating the future battles. On the other hand, Rhode didn't slaughter Simon instantly after digging all the intelligence from him. Instead, Rhode ordered Simon to write out everything that he knew in a locked cell. Perhaps this unfortunate fellow was still transcribing everything with tears and mucus flowing down his face.

Rhode had other matters to focus his attention on.

"How's the situation in the fortress?" He asked.

Everyone exchanged glances and Orchid Heart let out a long yawn.

"Everything is going well, Rhode. We've lost less than a hundred men in the previous battle and there aren't any army deserters... So it's considered alright."

"The merchants have decided to leave temporarily, but the residents have no intentions of moving away for the time being. I've negotiated with them and they agreed to defend the Fortress together. Some of the residents by the periphery and Deep Stone City have decided to leave," Marlene said.

Rhode twitched his brows, but this wasn't beyond his expectations. The residents had nowhere to go to and the reason why they previously tried to leave was that they were afraid that the Fortress would be destroyed. And now, not only could the Fortress withstand the attacks, but the soldiers had also eliminated the Undead Army. Compared to the stalemates in other regions, the Land of Atonement was much safer.

"How about our resources?"

Rhode turned to Lapis. The latter cowered slightly and stood up nervously.

"T-That... Sir, the... alchemy constructs.... w-will need more time to recover. As for the magic arrows and other Mage Equipment... If the enemies were of the previous standard, we will have no problems holding on for a week. If we have materials, my subordinates and I can produce more of them..."

"There will be materials, don't worry."

Rhode nodded to her and turned to everyone else.

"This is only the start. I guess you've experienced this battle personally now. The attack from the Country of Darkness will be fiercer here on out. Don't let your guard down even though we've won the previous battles easily. We didn't win because we've prepared ourselves well. All we did was to disrupt their plans, that's all. When the Undead Army is ready for the next battle, we will have a much tougher fight. The next six months are the most dangerous period. As long as we hang on, the ultimate victory will be ours."

Everyone glanced at one another. Then, Lize raised her hand dubiously.

"Mr. Rhode... Why the next six months?"

"It's simple."

Rhode looked at her.

"Because this battle is only a warm-up for the Country of Darkness," Rhode said in an apathetic tone.

Chapter 704: Nightfall (II)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Many of them widened their eyes in disbelief. Even though they won the previous battles easily, it didn't feel good for them, after all. Everyone hated battles, even the easy ones. Although two days had passed, many felt disgusted as soon as they recalled the scenes and mental pressure which the Country of Darkness had brought upon them.

"... Boss, what do you mean?"

Joey scratched his head, but plucked up his courage and asked. In fact, his doubt also represented everyone's thoughts. Rhode observed everyone's expressions. Most of them were filled with suspicions and confusions. Only a handful of them, such as John, Marlene, and Old Walker had fallen into deep thoughts. Canary, Mini Bubble Gum, and Orchid Heart weren't concerned over this issue. As players in the past, they knew the causes and effects of the entire situation. Rhode let out an inward bitter smile. Apart from a few of them, most were mercenaries who were used to fighting and killing, so how was it possible that they would consider the meaning and problem behind the causes?

But it seemed about time for them to attend a lecture.

Rhode spread his arms apart.

"I want to ask everyone of you a question. What do you think was the reason of the Country of Darkness's attack on the Light Mainland?"

Everyone looked blankly and replied hesitantly.

"This... Because the Undead Creatures are sworn enemies with other living creatures..."

"Because the Country of Light dispatched troops to the border and enraged the Country of Darkness..."

"Both sides have been in conflicts ever since the Creation War. Perhaps the Country of Darkness is determined to dominate the Light Mainland now?"

Everyone gave all sorts of reasonable answers. After all, they were only natives of this continent and weren't modern players who had received all sorts of intelligence and news. They had done well to provide such analysis. Much better than...

"Who cares what they're here for! All we have to do is hit them back!" Anne brandished her tiny fist and yelled in disdain.

See. She's an exception.

Rhode shook his head and finger helplessly. Shortly after, the bustling room turned quiet and everyone looked at him for the answer. Then, Rhode said, "You guys have to remember that war is an extension of politics. It's means to achieve political goals. If they can't achieve what they want, then war will be meaningless. You used to be mercenaries who act in according to orders. But now, I need you to grow up and watch the complicated meaning behind this war everything else."

Rhode spread out the Dragon Soul Continent map on the table and pointed here and there. Everyone crowded over.

"I guess you're aware of the Undead Army's structure through Simon's confessions. But I have to warn you that this was only the tip of the iceberg. Their true strength is far from these. In the previous battles, they have only dispatched medium to low-grade troops, with none of the high-grade troops which included the Skeletal Trolls, Death Scythes, Liches, Vampire Army, or Shadow Demons. All of them are the Undead Army's ultimate killers and there is also the Dark Elves and another group of a dark race. Currently, none of them have appeared at all. Perhaps you haven't experienced how powerful they are, but I can tell you that if they emerged, even Mini Bubble Gum and Canary would avoid meeting them face to face. In fact, they also didn't dispatch any the medium-grade troops. All that you've seen are the Abominations and Death Knights. You didn't see any Specters or Ghouls at all, right?"

Everyone turned to Mini Bubble Gum and Canary and the two young ladies nodded in agreement.

"In other words, if they sent out a fully-equipped Undead Army, they should be led by Skeleton Soldiers, Skeleton Archers, Death Knights, Abominations, and Skeleton Guards and accompanied by Necromancers, Specters, and Gargoyles. According to the special characteristics of the army, there will also be Skeletal Trolls, Death Scythe, or Vampires. If the army is directly under the four legendary generals, you may have a chance to meet the Shadow Demons. They are illusory creatures like shadows shuttling in the darkness. Unless you have a weapon enhanced with holy powers, you don't even think of dealing a single bit of damage. They can easily pass through obstacles, so your armor will be meaningless. Even after you've killed them, they will instantly transform into Skeletal Trolls. Just think of the Abominations and multiply their threats by a few times and that's what you get for the Skeletal Trolls."

Many of them paled. They knew how terrifying the Abominations were. In fact, most of their companions had died to their attacks. Not only could their hatchets crush the Cleric's defensive barrier into bits, but the Abominations also didn't even flinch to explosive magic arrows as they advanced. If it wasn't for Orchid Heart who used the [Casali under the Night Sky] and reset the battlefield to reposition them away from the Fortress, no one could predict what the consequences were.

At this moment, no one was concerned over why Rhode understood the Undead Army so well. They stared at Rhode and digested the words that he said. Perhaps they might not be qualified commanders or generals, but they were still experienced warriors after all, and they recorded every detail of the enemies in their heads.

"This also means that if the four legendary generals sent out a standard, official army, it will be as great as a fantasy story if we can successfully defend them. Perhaps the only thing that Mini Bubble Gum and Canary can do is to drag out the time and allow us to evacuate safely. However, it is totally impossible to rely on them to defend this place. At least that's how it is now."

Rhode gestured with his hand and continued.

"But what did you see in this battle? The low-grade Skeleton Soldiers, Death Knights, Abominations, followed by Skeleton Guards, Gargoyles, Bone Griffins, and Necromancers. I've just mentioned that none of the high-grade troops have appeared. Do you know why?"

"Because they're preserving their strength?"

After all, John used to be an official commander and he was stronger in this aspect.

"Why are they preserving their strength?"

"That..."

Rhode revealed a trace of laughter in his eyes.

"This involves the political purpose of this war and was also their final goal. You may or may not be aware of this, but, currently, the Country of Darkness is a prosperous nation..." Rhode said and noticed the astonished expressions before him. Everyone widened their eyes in disbelief as though he had just said something ridiculous. But, they couldn't be blamed because the nation of death should have been a graveyard to them—ice-cold, lifeless, and had nothing to do with the word 'prosperous'. But Rhode didn't explain the reason why and continued. "... In the past, the Country of Darkness is as what you imagined. Under the control of the four legendary generals, the Country of Darkness was as peaceful and lifeless as a graveyard. But everything changed ever since the new Dark Dragon Soul, Ion, emerged. In order to change the situation, he strongly supported the small and medium family factions and changed the rules of the Country of Darkness, which granted them more opportunities to rise. It was this opportunity that the Country of Darkness grew livelier. Many families who were struggling on whilst at death's door or attached to other forces began to rise, and eventually brought upon the current, powerful the Country of Darkness."

Rhode shrugged.

"But, prosperity doesn't only bring about benefits. The cake is just this size and that is the same for every forces and nation. When the families rose, they affected the four legendary generals' benefits. As the most four ancient, largest families in Country of Darkness, the four legendary generals definitely wouldn't allow anyone to provoke their dignity. Even though they have means to utterly annihilate the smaller families, they will still be others to fill the deficit and they also have no lack of desires for authority and ambitions."

"But, Rhode, the four legendary generals are so powerful and others try to replace them... Is that possible?"

Marlene expressed her doubts while Rhode nodded slightly.

"That's right. It would be impossible if they were Humans. But Marlene, don't forget that they're Undead Creatures who have no lack of time and patience. Back then, 'Spirit Chaser' Balende was only a small team captain of a regional legion, while 'Blood Countess' Ashvril was just the illegitimate child of two Vampire families, and 'Conqueror' Garcia was only an ordinary child of a human slave family. If they can climb to where they are now over time, why can't others do the same?"

"That..."

Marlene was speechless. Indeed, humans had short life spans and could only grasp authority whenever the opportunity presented. The so-called patience was about 30 to 50 years and compared to the Undead Creatures who could wait up to centuries, they weren't even worth a mention at all.

"The capable families who could challenge the four legendary generals didn't give up while the four legendary generals weren't willing to hand their wealth and land over to them. However, the cake is only this huge and a tiger can't withstand the pack of wolves. Both sides might end up in mutual destruction if the conflicts escalated and it is the Country of Darkness' national power that would take the hit. Under such a circumstance where they can't share the cake, there is only one way for them—getting more of it to distribute fairly."

Rhode pointed to the map.

"And the Light Mainland is this cake."

"But... Sir..."

Sol swallowed his saliva to wet his dry throat. He was a Half-Demon and all he thought everyday in the past was about leading his companions across the continent in search for a place of residence. The furthest he could think ahead was what kind of life he would have. But now, all this discussion about war and the future of this continent sounded too surreal for him.

"I-Is this related to what you've mentioned before?"

"Of course."

This time, it was John who spoke. After figuring out the situation from Rhode's information, he had his own judgment now.

"Just as Sir has said, the Country of Darkness is just sounding us out at the moment. This is like a battle between two men, where no one will rush ahead immediately. If we can't defend against the Country of Darkness' attack, they will be determined to devour us entirely. But if we resisted against them successfully, they will consider if they have a need to continue their attack... Is that right, Sir?"

"That's right."

Rhode nodded in agreement. The game had also proven this point. From the start, the Country of Darkness indeed had no intentions or perhaps they didn't think that they could dominate the entire Light Mainland. This situation was similar to as though a rogue who had groped a beauty and perhaps he would back off after the beauty gave him a tight slap. However, on the contrary, if the beauty trembled and gritted her teeth without retaliating, that would encourage the rogue to continue grabbing her to fulfill his selfish desires.

"The Country of Darkness doesn't seem interested in breaking out in an all-out war against the Light Mainland—at least for now. Their main goal is to plunder more land and resources to supply their domestic, emerging forces. This is also why the four legendary generals didn't lead their armies to the battlefield in the first place. At the same time, this also serves as a test and knockout competition for the various forces in the Country of Darkness. The battlefield is like an examination hall. Those who fail will be crushed and only the true elites will survive."

Rhode couldn't help but recall the scenarios in the game. After the Country of Darkness launched their attack and dominated the Light Mainland, they agreed to sign a truce agreement with the Light Parliament. Back then, many players couldn't understand this move. The Country of Darkness came to an abrupt halt in their actions and gave Light Parliament more than a year to recuperate. But, eventually, the Country of Darkness tore up the agreement and continued with their abuse. Come to think of it, perhaps this might be due to them distributing the portion of the cake. In the previous battles, the dazzling new stars from the Country of Darkness emerged one by one and proved their capabilities, which also destroyed all the foolish people in the Country of Light. As a result, the Country of Darkness's appetite increased. But they eventually needed to digest after consuming too much. Moreover, letting the Light Mainland rest for a year was nothing to them. The characteristics of humans had predetermined that they couldn't create an army with a million troops within one year.

The pitiful idiots in the Light Parliament saw the opportunity for peace and presented the Light Dragon Soul for negotiations. How foolish they were. Up until this point, Rhode still wasn't sure how those idiots saw this as a 'sign of peace'.

"I said all this for you to have an entirely new outlook on the entire situation."

Rhode shifted his gaze from the map to everyone before him.

"This isn't just a simple war. The Country of Darkness's battle lines have faced resistance in the Munn Kingdom, but this isn't their true strength. I want you to remember this. They are regrouping their troops, reevaluating their strategies, and mobilizing their army. But just as I've said, the four legendary generals won't show up that easily because this might trigger the involvement of the three Archangels, turn into a battle between the Creator Dragon Souls, and become the second Creation War."

"Don't we have any ways to stop this battle?"

Lize placed her hands on her chest and said worriedly. Rhode twitched his brows slightly.

"There are indeed some ways. As long as we do our best in defending against the Undead Army's attack and eliminate their forces, the Country of Darkness will back down as soon as they realized that the damage is far more than their benefits."

Frankly speaking, Rhode also wasn't confident in this. This was simply a 'what if' that the players had came up with.

"What if this..."

"What if that..."

"What if the Munn Kingdom stopped Country of Darkness' attack..."

"What if the Country of Light joined forces with the Country of Law to launch attacks against the Country of Darkness..."

But history can't be changed. This was why all their what ifs remained a presumption. However, the 'what ifs' had a possibility of happening in this world. If the Munn Kingdom could resist the Country of Darkness's attack, would this stop the raging war that would spread throughout the continent?

Rhode had no idea about that too. He could only give it a shot.

Thereafter, everyone left the room with unprecedented solemness in their expressions. If they were only mercenaries who fought for the sake of fighting in the past, they naturally felt the heavy pressure on them now after realizing that this battle that they were involved in was related to the fate of this continent. But this was fine too as there wouldn't be motivation without pressure... Rhode shifted his gaze to Anne who had laid flat on the table and snoring away. It was apparent that she wasn't concerned about all this reasoning.

Knock knock.

Agatha's calm voice sounded from behind the door.

"Sir."

"Is anything the matter, Agatha?"

"Yes, Sir."

She 'slid' into the room quietly and bowed.

"The Battle Angel Army has arrived in the Fortress."

Chapter 705: Nightfall (III)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Rhode wasn't surprised by the late arrival of the Battle Angel Army. This was like common scenes in a Hollywood movie where the leading role saves the world before the government dispatches their reinforcements. In fact, even though Rhode had requested for reinforcements, it was only to prepare for any eventualities. Besides, he was sure that there were other regions that required the attention of the Battle Angel Army more than his. But, he didn't expect the Battle Angel Army to arrive much quicker than he thought. It seemed like the Undead Army attacking the Munn Kingdom had all retreated for the time being.

Rhode quickly spotted the neat rows of Battle Angels lined silently and solemnly on plaza. Under the glaring sun rays, their white-gold armor and pure white wings emanated a dazzling, sacred aura, to which Rhode couldn't help but suck in a deep breath. The nearby mercenaries and soldiers observed curiously and discussed with one another over the grand scene. They couldn't be blamed for this behavior since the Battle Angel Army seldom revealed themselves before others. Although they were considered the top elite soldiers of the Light Mainland, it was also due to this that Lydia had to conceal their presence. It was rare for one to meet a Battle Angel, not to mention meeting a Battle Angel who was fully geared.

There were more than a thousand Battle Angels before Rhode. He descended the flight of stairs, at the same time scanning them with narrowed eyes.

In the game, Battle Angels were all-rounders who could attack and defend outstandingly, had no pressure in short to long range battles, and possessed sacred powers. However, most of their standard weapons were single-handed swords, shields, and bows. They were capable of interchanging between two battle forms and no matter which battle form they took, they brought threatening dangers to their enemies. Currently, the Battle Angel Army had split up into different formations. The first formation had the most Battle Angels. Rhode gave a rough scan and counted about 700 of them. They appeared to be about the size of ordinary humans with swords and shields hanging by their waists and longbows behind them.

The second formation stood out from the masses as they appeared much more petite and as slim as Elves. They stood in rows on the left and right, holding gigantic bugle horns made of conchs in their tiny hands. Apart from that, they also weren't wearing sacred armor made of white-gold. Instead, they wore exquisite and beautiful robes which made them look more like musicians and Mages.

Bugle Angels.

Rhode squinted at the sight of them. They were an alternate form of the Battle Angels. Their individual strength among Angels weren't considered strong, but their support capabilities were superb. An army that was blessed by a Bugle Angel could unleash 10 times more battle strength. In other words, if Rhode had Bugle Angels under his command, he would have long opened the gates and made John lead the thousands of soldiers against the 50,000 Undead Creatures.

The number of Angels toward the rear got even fewer. They lined up in two rows: the Angels in front held pikes and appeared to have the toughest figures. Unlike the previous Angels, they were twice as tall as an adult human and had four arms. Two arms held pikes while the other two held a staff and a balance scale.

Those are the Judge Angels.

Rhode's breath was taken away. The Judge Angels were considered the most violent fellows. Although there weren't a whole lot of them, every single one of them was a combat experts. Their four arms guaranteed that they could fight and cast spells simultaneously. In addition, the mighty, sacred aura emanating from them gave them huge advantages against the Undead Army. Rhode had witnessed a party of 30 idiotic players who fought against a Judge Angel and lost miserably. They died continuously 10 times and couldn't deal a single point of damage to the Judge Angel. Back then, even though the players' average level was about 60 and had the support of their talent, they couldn't retaliate at all, which proved how powerful the Judge Angels were. In fact, the Judge Angels were also considered elites among the elites at slightly more than level 70.

In the last row, there were about 50 Angels. They were about the height of average humans, but were equipped with eye-catching Angel weapon—they carried a human-tall golden crossbow that resembled a large cannon.

What the... Dawn Angels?!

This time, Rhode couldn't conceal his astonishment anymore. The Dawn Angels were the top elites in the entire Light Mainland. Their average level was also around 70 and they only had a single means of attack: long-range shooting.

However, its might was devastating.

The might of a Dawn Angel's arrow was equivalent to a magic cannon with extreme ranges and lethal accuracy. It could also be said that every Dawn Angel was like a walking cannon. Not only that, but the Dawn Angels also had different styles of long-range shooting. They could blast out a light beam that was as powerful as magic cannons and also secretly release ordinary light arrows. The latter could be termed as an assassination move due to its stealthiness. Moreover, the arrows that the Dawn Angels release are enhanced with magic-destroying attributes, where even magic-resistant armor would also be shattered by it.

During the Creation War, the Dawn Angels slaughtered countless Mages in the Peak Legendary Stage using this attack and were the most well known Mage-killers on this continent.

It seems like Lydia really does look highly on me...

Rhode shrugged and cracked a joke inwardly. Of course, he knew why Lydia had sent the Dawn Angels here. The Land of Atonement was Paphield's first line of defense. As soon as this region crumbled, the Undead Army would infiltrate and sweep their way to Golden City. It could be said that due to geographical factors, the Land of Atonement had become the first and final defensive barrier for Paphield-Grenbell and the southwest Munn Kingdom. At this moment, Rhode felt more at ease. After all, no matter how valiant he was, it was impossible for him to deal with the entire Undead Army by himself. Besides, with the Battle Angel Army here, Mini Bubble Gum and Canary could attack with fewer concerns. At least this could lower the chances of them being noticed by the enemies.

Rhode had guessed the scenario before him in an instant. He descended the flight of stairs and stood before the Battle Angel Army. Then, one of the Battle Angel took large strides toward him. She looked around 24 years old, had about the same height as him, and her blonde hair tied into a ponytail. However, Rhode knew that age wasn't a reliable factor for races with longevity.

"Greetings, Sir Overlord."

The Battle Angel bowed respectfully. Her voice was crisp and sweet to his ears. Moreover, coupled with the unique tone of the celestial accent, even an ordinary greeting sounded pleasant to hear.

"I'm Beni, head of the 5th Battle Angel Legion. I've arrived in accordance to Royal Highness Lydia's orders to assist in defending the Land of Atonement Fortress. From now onward, my troops and I will fight under your command. These are Royal Highness Lydia's orders." Beni handed a letter stamped with red wax to Rhode. "We're the first team of reinforcement. The subsequent two teams will arrive within the next 10 days."

"Thank you."

Rhode took over the letter in astonishment. The Battle Angel Army was so dominant and yet, she handed them to him without any hesitation at all. He thought that she would dispatch a trustworthy commander and coordinate with him for the battle. Never did he expect that she would hand them directly under him.

Rhode shook his head. Then, he turned his attention to another issue.

"The subsequent two teams?"

"Yes, Sir Overlord. Royal Highness Lydia has also ordered the Glorious Knights and part of Paphield's garrison team, followed by the 3rd Royal Fleet. Paphield's overlord has also agreed to provide various logistical supplies for your Land of Atonement's Fortress."

What a massive lineup...

Even though he was mentally prepared, he couldn't help but suck in a deep breath of cold air. With the mobilization of the Glorious Knights and 3rd Royal Fleet, it went to show how important this line of defense was to Lydia.

"How's the situation with the other regions?"

Rhode kept the letter.

The gentle smile on Beni's face faded.

"The situation is bad, Sir Overlord."

She let out a long sigh.

"The Undead Army has been frantically attacking. Our defenses have had a tough time and due to the lack of preparations, many of them had sunk into conflagration. At the moment, Land of Atonement's Fortress is the only front line that hasn't fallen."

Beni forced a smile.

"Frankly speaking, I heaved a sigh of relief when I first arrived at your Fortress, Sir Overlord. There weren't any crumbled walls, stains from pitch-black smoke, and corpses. This may be the only consolation that I can receive..." Beni's expression became stern. "Sir Overlord, although the Undead Army's temporary retreat has given us a breather, we couldn't recover what we have lost. Therefore, we should protect everything that we can. Royal Highness Lydia had entrusted me to pass this message that she will do her best to fulfill all your requests as long as it protects this battle line."

"I understand, Miss Beni."

Rhode nodded. Then, his eyes glinted.

"Wait, Miss Beni. You said... Royal Highness Lydia will fulfill all my requests?"

"..."

Beni revealed an odd expression. Even though she wouldn't think of 'fulfill all my requests' at a crooked angle as an Angel, the complacency and greed flashing in Rhode's eyes were obvious to all, and that left her rather dissatisfied. However, she pondered for a moment and eventually nodded.

"Yes, Sir Overlord."

"Good," Rhode said and gazed at Beni. "Alright then. I have a small, little request..."

Chapter 706: Nightfall (IV)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Amund entered the large doors with his golden staff. He scanned the Battle Angels standing silently with solemn expressions by the corridor. This originally gorgeous castle appeared like a fortress that couldn't be sunken, filled with an intense atmosphere. The city guards' clamors were heard from outside the window. Amund felt a little distracted. Just a few days ago, he was still enjoying rather peaceful days. But now, everything had changed.

War comes so quickly.

"Grand Mage Amund."

A Battle Angel descended from above with her widely spread wings. She landed before him, bowed respectfully, and beckoned.

"Please follow me. Her Royal Highness is expecting your arrival."

"Okay."

The hall was still as tranquil and elegant. Amund instantly spotted some familiar faces: nobles and soldiers. But no matter their identities, their faces were filled with obvious fatigue and seriousness. It seemed that this sudden war had brought upon tons of pressure on them. Amund subconsciously touched his face. He tried to retrieve a small mirror to see if he was also looking this miserable. However, he quickly gave up on this thought after realizing the gazes shooting at him and he had gotten his answer.

"Teacher Amund."

Lydia stood up leisurely. This time, she was no longer in her luxurious robe. Instead, she was clad in a neatly-ironed, white uniform and the sacred patterns on the collar and skirt made her look full of mettle. Lydia winked playfully at Amund with a smile.

"You're back. How's the situation in Silent Field?"

"Your Highness."

Amund lowered his head and bowed deeply.

"The residents of Silent Field have evacuated safely. Currently, they're on the second defensive line in Deransas. The Undead Creatures didn't give chase, but according to the scouts, the Undead Creatures are replenishing their forces. Even though we cremated most of the corpses before we left, they..."

Amund didn't finish his sentence, but everyone present knew what he meant. Perhaps they had cremated the corpses, but they could do nothing about the deeply buried human remains. They were sure that the corpses would definitely be awakened by the Undead Creatures, made to join their army, and lift their butcher's knife against their families and friends.

"I understand, Teacher Amund."

Lydia kept her smile.

"The Undead uses sorcery to manipulate the souls. One day, their painful souls will receive their undisturbed peace..."

Lydia shook her head before sitting back down and shutting her eyes. After a few moments, she opened her eyes while the distress across her face had faded away and was replaced with unprecedented confidence. Amund nodded.

She stands out from the masses, that's for sure.

As the Court Grand Mage who had served two generations of Duchess, Amund knew how outstanding Lydia was in comparison to the previous Duchess who was overly kind. Even though being kind was part of an Angel's value, she was still too weak to rule a nation. Although she had strong times too, she was overall too fragile. On the contrary, Lydia was completely different. Ever since she was born, Amund had sensed something extraordinary: the spirit of determination and honor behind her lively, dazzling aura. No matter what difficulties Lydia faced, her gaze was always toward the front. Perhaps she might suffer and be downhearted by this arduous, thorny path, but she didn't stop or slow down her pace at all. She braved forward and was always full of confidence.

"Alright. Since everyone is here, let's move on to the next problem."

Lydia played with the feather pen in her hand, lifted her head, and revealed a crafty glint in her eyes. Perhaps due to her soothing smile, everyone felt the heavy, intense atmosphere lighten up and they heaved sighs of relief.

"The enemies have retreated, but only temporary. Even though we have strengthened our defenses, we will still need more time since it is winter. There are no issues with the soldiers' transportation. But we may face some difficulties in terms of supplies."

Unlike the Country of Light, the Munn Kingdom had the advantage of the strong gales in assisting the transportation of supplies. Strong gales were a natural phenomenon unique to the Munn Kingdom. They were famous for their abundance of wind element, forming a circular wind belt above the nation and enveloping it entirely. There were different opinions about the strong gales. Some said that this was a certain effect released from the first Archangel who had obtained the Munn Kingdom territory. Some also said that this was a natural phenomenon due to the common boundary between the Light Dragon Soul and Dark Dragon Soul. Some even said that the strong gales had already existed and was discovered by the Archangel, which eventually built a country below it.

But no matter what, it was the truth that Munn Kingdom had built floating boats to take advantage of the strong gales, which was tantamount to airplanes in the real world. Of course, unlike airplanes, the floating boats could only fly in reliance to the dense wind elements in the strong gales. Without strong gales, the floating boats would be no different from scrap metal. This also became the only flaw that restricted the Munn Kingdom from being the sky dominator of the entire Light Mainland. If the floating boats could fill the skies of the entire Light Mainland, perhaps the Light Parliament wouldn't even be worthy of being clowns.

But judging from the current situation, the Munn Kingdom was the only country capable of using floating boats to transport supplies and soldiers despite the blocked off roads due to the harsh snow. This was also another reason why the Munn Kingdom could resist the Country of Darkness's attack. The floating boats wouldn't be stopped by snow. Of course, like airplanes, harsh weather was also their enemies.

"Their retreat is only temporary. The Undead Army won't give up that easily. According to the report, Sunset Valley to Fog Plain in the Country of Light have crumbled completely. If we don't react, perhaps we may also need to face the enemies coming from the sides."

"Currently, the defenses are still stable, but we don't know what further actions the Undead Army will take..."

"We don't have sufficient manpower in the front lines. Maybe we should mobilize some reinforcements from the rear..."

"From the rear?"

Lydia's curious question interrupted them. She fiddled with the letter in her hands and gazed at the soldier before her. The soldier, Dagus, looked into her bright, clear eyes with some uncertainty. Even though he was considered one of the valiant military leaders in the Munn Kingdom, he couldn't help but feel worried. But shortly after, he nodded firmly.

"Yes, Your Highness. The front line is having a tough time. Currently, even though the situation has stabilized with the help of the Battle Angel Army and Garrisons, we still lack manpower. Moreover... The South suffered serious damage from the previous internal war..."

Indeed. The previous internal war between the North and South had struck the South hard. Of course, Rhode was responsible for a large part of this. If it wasn't for him who dealt with most of the city guards using the Undead Creatures, perhaps they wouldn't land in this miserable state. However, the restoration and maintenance of the post-war was also essential. Therefore, after the internal war, the Royal Family had mobilized soldiers from the North to maintain order in the South. Even though the victory was won easily, both sides more or less received damages and it surely wasn't an easy task to deal with the Country of Darkness's attack at this state.

"Hmph, those cunning Undead Creatures. I was rather dubious when I heard that they've appeared in the South. Now that I think of it, they must have seized the opportunity to attack us after hearing about our internal war. We should've investigated on the strange Undead Creatures, but I never expect them to come this quickly!"

Poor Country of Darkness. It seemed that they had been made the scapegoat. But Rhode wouldn't care less about it anyway.

"I have a letter here."

Lydia pointed gently at the letter.

"It is from our adorable Earl."

"..."

The bustling atmosphere fell into an awkward silence instantly. They gazed at the letter with complicated expressions. Of course, they knew who wrote the letter, but didn't know if they should mention it. It was because, back then, only two people had clearly expressed their different opinions during the meeting about the Country of Light mobilizing their troops: Gaya and Rhode. The former thought that Country of Darkness's movements were odd and problematic. On the other hand, the latter clearly expressed that the Country of Darkness would use the opportunity to launch a raid soon.

Of course, everyone took a compromise. Lydia requested everyone to strengthen their defenses and they acted accordingly. But they were still humans, after all... Everyone was always nonchalant about the unknown dangers. They felt that Lydia was overreacting, while Rhode's and Gaya's views were just behaviors of young people being overly cautious.

Harboring such thoughts, they were careless and heedless when carrying out their duties.

And now, it seemed that Rhode and Gaya weren't being overly cautious. Instead, it was them who were too unflustered.

The truth had given them a harsh, tight slap.

Everyone knew that they were to be blamed that the Country of Darkness could infiltrate so easily. If they had taken Lydia's orders seriously, perhaps the situation wouldn't end up this desperately. Even though Lydia was magnanimous to not look into it, everyone was experienced enough to know that they had lost to their judgment and were feeling extremely awkward. Moreover, if it wasn't for Rhode's fortress that had withstood the Undead Army's attack and alleviated the pressure by turning the five battle lines into four, perhaps they might not even have the time to construct more defensive lines.

Furthermore, that young overlord withstood the Undead Army's raid and attack with his own forces, which was incredible.

"What is written on it, Your Highness?"

Amund let out a cough. He was the one who was the least awkward because he was the Court Mage, after all. He wasn't responsible for the mobilization of the border guards and soldiers, so he didn't give too many thoughts. Lydia revealed a smile in response.

"He wants us to be wary of the Light Parliament's raid."

"Light Parliament?"

Everyone gasped in disbelief. On the other hand, Dagus showed a look of astonishment.

"The Light Parliament raiding us? They can't even take care of themselves and still wanna find trouble with us? Don't those bastards know that our Munn Kingdom is their first defensive line? Aren't they digging their own grave if they lay hands on us?"

"How did the young overlord describe the situation?" Amund said curiously while Lydia shrugged.

"Nothing much. He has only reminded us of the possibility of the Light Parliament 'betraying the nation for the sake of glory'. It's just that simple."

"Just that simple?"

Amund lowered his head in deep thought as he scanned the letter filled with thickly dotted words. It shouldn't just be that simple...

"It's not impossible."

A deep voice captured everyone's attention. Then, Callan Senia, Patriarch of Senia Family, stepped out.

"There have always been a lot of friction between the Country of Light and Munn Kingdom. Moreover, Her Majesty has also shown her intentions in restoring her authority during the Dragon Soul Ceremony. If Her Majesty truly intends to do that, the Munn Kingdom will become her strongest backing. Perhaps the Light Parliament can't do anything about that, but it is different now. The Country of Darkness has invaded and attacked the Munn Kingdom and Country of Light, which proves that their goals are not limited to a certain country. This way, we can perceive that the Light Parliament may seize the chance to weaken our strength because it isn't impossible for them to lay hands on us in order to reach a secret, armistice agreement with the Country of Darkness. I believe that the Light Parliament is capable of doing this and it will be better if their agreement is made under the witness of the Country of Law."

"This..."

Everyone revealed grave expressions. It was apparent that if this was the truth, it would be the biggest threat to the Munn Kingdom. The Munn Kingdom might not be afraid of the shimmering blades before them, but they had to defend against the poisonous blades from behind. If the Light Parliament had intentions of betraying the Munn Kingdom to reach their goal, the Munn Kingdom wouldn't have too many choices left.

In an instant, everyone sensed the danger and urgency of the situation. The Undead Army's attack wasn't the most serious problem now. After all, it wouldn't be simple for them infiltrate with the Battle Angel Army in place. But it also wouldn't be easy to deduce the facts from the Country of Light... Moreover, they were also unsure if they were capable of retaliating against the Country of Light. Without mentioning the dangers of war, wouldn't it mean that the Archangel had defied the Dragon Soul's edict by going against the Country of Light due to the Munn Kingdom's unique identity?

Everyone shifted their gaze to Lydia and waited for her decision. But it seemed that she didn't have any great ideas at the moment. At least for now, she remained silent, but her gentle and witty smile reassured them.

"We can resolve this problem at a later date." Lydia gestured. "We can mobilize a portion of the troops from the rear. Besides, we can compress the battle lines to resolve this problem."

Lydia pushed the letter forward.

"Earl Rhode has promised me that he can defend the Land of Atonement. We can split up the troops to alleviate the crisis in other regions for now. But..."

Lydia paused and revealed a look that was caught between laughter and tears.

"You guys will know."

"This is..."

Amund picked up the letter and scanned the content curiously. Apart from the usual greetings and reminder of the Light Parliament's 'backstab', there were only a few other sentences... What is the whole dense text below about?

Amund read on and then, he widened his eyes in astonishment.

"This... This..."

Amund couldn't finish his sentence. He lifted his head, gazed at Lydia, and rubbed his eyes. He suspected his blurred vision of an old person. The reason was simple. All he saw in the densely written words was nothing more than a request for a list of supplies.

10 million gold coins. 30 carts of magic crystals. Five carts of various elemental gems. Not only that, but Rhode also hoped to receive the 'Holy Spirit' armor set and 'Magic Prayer' robe set. Amund knew what they were. The 'Holy Spirit' armor set and 'Magic Prayer' robe set were premium treasures hidden in the Munn Kingdom's warehouse. In addition to the magic crystals and elemental gems, they amounted to more than 50 million gold coins in value. Amund thought that Rhode would merely request for more reinforcements, weapons, armor, or supplies. In the end... This was what he wanted?

The Munn Kingdom might be rich and it was also possible for Lydia to fork out her own money to Rhode. But why did Rhode need that much money? Did he have the intention of crushing the Undead Creatures to death with the gold coins?

Chapter 707: Nightfall (V)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Amund was right. Rhode indeed had the intentions to do so.

Rhode came up with a few ideas after listening to Beni's words. In fact, he lacked manpower the most at this moment. Even though many troops were stationed in the Fortress, he knew that they would leave for the other regions that required their attention more when situations arose. This was also the reason why Lydia had dispatched the Magic Warships here as they were responsible in defending the place and had to also act as transportation for the soldiers to other regions. This was the situation in war. Rhode was only an overlord, after all, and it would be a fantasy story if he counted on Lydia to hand all the troops to him.

It seems like I will need to rely on myself.

However, troops wouldn't simply fall from the sky. Rhode's only summon gate was linked to the Water Elemental world and it would be wishful thinking to count on the Ocean Elves to go against the Undead Army. If he had the summon gates that connected to the Star Temple or Steel Land, perhaps he could summon creatures that could deal with the Undead Army.

He had more than 3000 soldiers at the moment, which went to show how difficult it was to recruit them. On the other hand, it was extremely easy for the Undead Army in this aspect. They could recruit forces in any battlefields and graveyards. Also, they would correspond in large groups immediately without any grumbles and complaints.

Since he lacked the quantity, he would need to work with quality. Since he couldn't rely on quantity, he would need to count on their equipment. This was the current solution that he had. It was a pity that this wasn't the game. If not, he would have a much easier time gathering players and attacking the Country of Darkness from the rear.

Even though Rhode's request was asking for too much, he didn't think that there was anything wrong with it. In fact, Marlene's complexion turned pale as soon as she heard his views because this was disrespectful toward the Munn Kingdom. However, Rhode thought otherwise as it was only right for players with a high reputation to receive influential rewards. Therefore, Rhode's line of thought as a player came online when he heard Beni's words. Anyway, Lydia owed him a wish since she failed to cure Christie and had personally promised Rhode to keep the wish.

Of course, in the eyes of the ordinary people, using the wish to exchange for a bunch of wealth was simply an unspeakable behavior. However, Rhode didn't think so as he lacked money the most now. The reason was simple: after the previous battle, the construction system could once again be upgraded.

For him, this was a story full of blood and tears.

Previously, he thought of gaining EXP from eliminating the Undead Army. In fact, the two continuous victories had given him a lot of confidence and since there weren't any players around, he wouldn't need to share the EXP gained. Even though Mini Bubble Gum and Canary had terrible equipment, they were at their maximum level, after all, and had no demands for EXP. However, Rhode had miscalculated and missed out one person.

Orchid Heart.

As the only other presence that could level up on the battlefield, Orchid Heart had naturally took in a whole chunk of EXP. Even though the amount wasn't considered a lot compared to when Rhode had gained in the late game, she started from level one here, after all, and instantly reached level 35 after the battles, transcending into the Peak Elite Stage. But Spellcaster Scholar was unlike the battle classes like Mages and Swordsmen, so most people didn't realize it. But this was a tragedy for Rhode.

He discovered that he lacked 1500 EXP to reach level 60. 1500 EXP wasn't a lot as it was the amount from killing an Abomination. But now that the Undead Army had retreated, where could he find an Abomination to slaughter?

In the end, he had no choice but to choose another sacrificial product: Necromancer Simon who he had trapped in the cell.

Come to think of it, this fellow was truly unfortunate. His fate shouldn't be this tragic. Rhode always wished for an Undead Creature as his subordinate. Even though Humans in this world detested the Undead Creatures, they had to admit that the Undead Creatures had unique talents in achieving some insane attacks. Moreover, Rhode wasn't afraid that Simon would be up to no good since he had his Soul Core in possession, which was also why Simon could barely live on in the cell. But now... For the sake of the 1500 EXP, Rhode had no other choices.

Poor Necromancer. He died in Rhode's hands and even his ashes were taken in as EXP. What a tragedy.

After getting rid of Simon, Rhode took in 2000 EXP and broke through the level 60 barrier. From now onward, he had stepped into the Legendary Stage. But he couldn't find the time to upgrade his techniques and swordsmanship due to the need to deal with the battle aftermaths. However, he received another surprise. The system prompt reminded him: System Construction Upgrade.

And it was precisely because Rhode had seen the upgrade prompt that he made this choice.

After the system was upgraded, there were much more enhancement options for the city walls, Fortress, and bunker. But these weren't as important because Rhode discovered that a defense mechanism had also been unlocked: magic cannons.

Magic cannons were the most common defense weapons for medium to large-sized cities and fortresses. Due to the long manufacturing time and expensive cost, most fortresses used the magic cannons as their main defense and were assisted by catapults and supported by Archers and Mages, which formed a qualified and complete defense set-up. Judging from this aspect, Rhode's fortress was still incomplete. He didn't have magic cannons in his arsenal during the previous battle and only had a few catapults. If it weren't for Mini Bubble Gum and Canary, perhaps he wouldn't have won so easily.

However, this world was different. Although magical technology was advanced, they didn't invent movable artilleries like in the real world. Rhode asked Marlene out of curiosity and learned that the construction of magic cannons was complicated and it was challenging to move them about after assembly. Normally, it would take at least half a year to assemble one magic cannon and the amount of time needed also depended on the specific model and size. Magic cannons with stronger firepower required more time, so it might even take decades. Although it wasn't impossible for them to install wheels, there was no rubber in this world, after all. The wooden wheels jolting on bumpy grounds would damage the magic cannons and it would be terrible if it exploded from external damage. Unless they were in relatively stable environments like on the floating boats, it would be a bad idea to directly use the magic cannons on the battlefield. Therefore, in a besieging war, the Spellcasters were the main attacking force. A primitive equipment like the stone catapults were meaningless to both sides because a complete fortress had a defense barrier to defend against long-range attacks. Moreover, in this magical generation, there were countless ways to deal with the simple siege weapons.

All Rhode could do was to shrug helplessly. He thought that he could come up with some sort of tanks using the magic cannons, but it seemed impossible at this point.

But now, this was a good thing for him.

There were three biggest problems in the making of magic cannons: expensive, long manufacturing time, and rare raw materials. But these weren't problems for Rhode. He might not have enough money, but it didn't mean that the Munn Kingdom and Royal Highness Lydia lacked them.

The manufacturing time wasn't a problem for him. Even though he didn't know how exactly his system worked in this world, it was apparent that it was effective. He had built this Fortress quickly despite Mages needing years with their own methods. Not to mention, the production of a legendary artifact like the Holy Maiden Statue was much more challenging and complicated. However, everything would be created as long as he was willing to spend money and tap on the confirmation button on the system interface. Of course, perhaps he might require some materials like magic crystals, but the manufacturing speed would be much faster than usual.

The magic cannons operated on magical powers sourced from the magic spring. Every fortress would need a location to build the magic spring. In fact, it was the same from the Land of Atonement. Due to its location near the boundaries between two Creator Dragon Souls, the surging huge stream of magical powers had flown into the underground. Rhode had intended to build the magic spring here because not only could it provide unlimited source of power for the magic cannons, but it could also allow Mages to awaken their strength. It would be great if he could use this chance to form a team of Mages as he couldn't possibly make Canary and Mini Bubble Gum dominate the battlefield while others watched idly from behind. BOSSes would still bring their critters into battles.

This was also why Rhode had conveniently requested for two legendary armors and he felt rather guilty for Canary's injury. Of course, no matter how powerful a player was, a high-level armor was necessary apart from techniques and talents. He had Canary wear a level 40 armor to defend against a level 75 spell. Unless she had a hidden bloodline, she wouldn't win even with higher magical resistance.

However, Rhode had held back. Even though he wanted the legendary armors, he would only be borrowing them. Although the two armors were considered extraordinary in ordinary people's eyes, they were still lacking in the players' eyes. Back then, Mini Bubble Gum's 'Pure Storm' and Canary's 'Infinite Element Protection' armor sets were supreme and had made countless players crazy over them. Of course, the two young ladies had spent a lot of time and effort in completing a series of insanely difficult missions to receive them.

However, it would be great enough for them to use the armor temporarily.

After the arrival of the Battle Angel Army, the entire Fortress had entered a state of peace and tranquility and Rhode also finally had the time for a break to ponder on his 'promotion'.